/PRZWT/In the past year, the domestic animation market has continued to "break through boundaries". According to the statistics from the Professional Edition of Maoyan, in 2025, the total box office of domestic animated films (including co-productions) reached 19.28 billion yuan, accounting for 75.7% of the total box office of all animated films. This is the highest figure since 2011. Many domestic animated works rooted in Eastern aesthetics are using their unique cultural narratives to build the collective memory of a generation. Recently, ScanKing Wang, a product of Hehe Information, has officially launched the "Guardian Plan for Domestic Animation Memories", encouraging users to discover elements of domestic animation from traditional culture and providing inspiration for the creation of domestic animation.
Traditional culture is a treasure trove for the creation of Chinese animation. From the unconstrained-natured Nezha to the small monster Lolangshan who reflects the joys and sorrows of ordinary people, these characters have successfully awakened the cultural affinity deep within the audience. This "treasure" of Chinese animation still has many areas waiting to be explored. Nowadays, more and more creators are capturing inspiration from ancient book illustrations and folk culture, and preserving it through Scan Master, allowing fragmented inspirations to accumulate into usable creative materials that can be accessed at any time.
AI scanning technology preserves "creative negatives" for Chinese animation works
Many of the stunning Chinese animated films often start with a hand-drawn sketch. The art blogger "Sanzhouchuan" (using a pseudonym) shared on social media her series of comic illustrations of the character Nezha. The blogger said that in order to understand this classic character, she specifically went to the library to consult the original novel, and finally brought her inner "Nezha" to life on paper. With the help of AI scanning technology, this 9-year-old work can be preserved in high-definition digital form, becoming a precious mark on the path of Chinese animation creation.
In the visual language of Chinese animation, intangible cultural heritage is also a rich source of inspiration. Yinggu Dance is a non-material cultural heritage of the Chaoshan region. The facial makeup of the dancers is distinguished by bold and rich colors, representing good and evil. This provides a new aesthetic paradigm for Chinese animation creation. The designer "Yang Yan Can't Draw" (a pseudonym) was inspired by this and sketched intricate facial makeup patterns with delicate lines. After being processed by AI scanning technology, this work interpreting intangible cultural heritage can be appreciated by more people in its most authentic form.
Based on AI scanning technology, the Scanning Master can convert easily worn-out paper manuscripts and intricate traditional cultural patterns into high-definition "digital archives", allowing the excellent creative ideas rooted in tradition to be preserved and seen by more people, documenting the growth path of a popular Chinese animation.
AI "extracting line drawings" draws creative inspiration from real life
The vitality of Chinese animation not only stems from professional creators, but also from the participation of the general public. Scan Master is dedicated to making Chinese animation accessible to everyone as a "DIY" resource. Whether it's a yellowed children's book or a posted traditional Chinese style poster, users simply need to take a snap, and Scan Master can automatically generate a clear black-and-white line drawing, facilitating users to copy and color in.
Cultural themes are an important aspect of Chinese animation, and they also form part of aesthetic education for primary and secondary school students. As the Year of the Horse approaches, the art creation blogger "Xiaoyang Xingxing" (a pseudonym) ingeniously combined traditional elements such as the horse zodiac sign, Chinese knots, and gourds to create a detailed New Year-themed hand-written newspaper. After the work was shared on social media platforms, many parents and students expressed that "the winter vacation hand-written newspaper assignment is saved!"
