Tie shan gong zhu (铁扇公主, 1941)

Princess Iron Fan is the first feature length animation made in China, just four years after Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
It resembles the early 30s Fleischer cartoons because of its strange mix of primitive drawing and imaginative metamorphosis.
This film is freely adapted from a classic 16th-century Chinese novel, Journey to the West and it's set during the Tang Dynasty. Wan Brother chose to adapt a popular national legend to renew China’s rich heritage and traditions by extending them into the new world of animation.



The novel concerns the hardship and adventures of Buddhist monk Xuanzang and his four disciples. We follow the Monkey King and his friends on their journey to the west. The tale of Princess Iron Fan is one such episode.
As they reach Fire Mountain they are unable to pass because of the fire but learn that a special iron fan can quench the flames. However, the fan belongs to Princess Iron Fan and she will not willingly lend it to them...
Wan Brothers resorted to rotoscoping, a tecnique invented by Max Fleischer, to create certain human movements.
You can buy Princess Iron Fan.

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