A 100-meter-long animated handscroll titled "Yingge Dance" opened to the public on November 24 at the western part of Guangzhou's Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall. The exhibition is free to visit and will run through November 30.
The centerpiece of the show is the monumental scroll created by a team led by Luo Jikun, vice chairman of the Guangzhou Animation Artists Association and head of the Guangzhou Animation Creation Research Center.
Crafted in over six months, the work adopts the narrative style of traditional long scrolls while integrating contemporary animation aesthetics. It vividly illustrates the origins, training, performance practices, and everyday lives of Yingge dancers.
The scroll begins with the 108 heroes of the Water Margin, also known as Outlaws of the Marsh, one of China's Four Great Classic Novels that depicts the 108 heroes of peasant uprisings.
Unfolding a panorama of folk customs in the Chaoshan region, it depicts iconic scenes of Yingge performers preparing backstage and taking the stage, featuring striking contrasts of black-and-red facial makeup and the dynamic movements of short batons.
The piece concludes with a festive crescendo of drums and gongs, highlighting the grandeur of this vibrant folk art. While preserving the dance's signature power and intensity, the scroll uses the expressive language of animation to engage younger audiences.
This is not the first time Luo's team has used animation to amplify social and cultural themes. The studio also produced Compendium of the National Games, a long-scroll project launched during the recently concluded 15th National Games.
Luo Jikun
Using the "sports DNA" of Guangdong's 21 cities as its thread, the work blends Meizhou's football passion, Dongguan's basketball energy, Foshan's martial arts heritage, and other regional traits with the spirit of sports, creating a lively fusion of local culture and athletic expression through bold animated imagery.
Related news: Essence of Yingge dance depicted in long scroll painting
Author | Liu Lingzhi
Photo | Guangzhou Animation Artists Association
Editor | James Campion, Shen He
