"China Qi Tan 2" is scheduled for New Year's Day 2026, using your heart as a mirror to see the world of Vientiane

The Chinese fantasy animated short film collection "China Qi Tan 2" has been officially announced and finalized. It will be exclusively launched on Beili Beili from January 1, 2026, and the finalized poster and trailer have been released simultaneously. In this public poster and trailer, the diverse styles and new characters of the nine animated short films have left a deep impression on the audience, jointly building a fantasy world full of Chinese imagination.

The bronze mirror absorbs all things, and you see your true self in your heart

As a new chapter in the "China Qi Tan" series,"China Qi Tan 2" further broadens the boundary between narrative and artistic expression on the basis of continuing Chinese aesthetics and imagination and the core of traditional culture. The fixed poster is deeply rooted in Oriental aesthetics and cleverly uses the image of "Ancient China Bronze Mirror". The mountains and rivers on the mirror body are embossed to form a flowing narrative picture-a mother stands still on the top of the waves, sending her thoughts to the sea; the swordsmen in the Jianghu are flying, and are about to ride the waves far away; the bear in the zoo walks on the stepping-rope, pulling the butterflies that are about to fly, which at closer inspection it shows the outline of a human shape; Three small snakes surround an ancient temple; the piglet standing on the train seems to be looking for a way home; In the mythical Xing Tian roared to the sky on the reef, while the old man in the other part of the picture was leisurely on the horizontal bar, forming an ingenious dialogue between tradition and modernity. Mountains and rivers spread out from this world in the mirror with stories, which not only reflect reality, but also lead the audience to see their true self from the outside to the inside.

The scheduled trailer released simultaneously is introduced by the gaze of the people in the drama. Through their surprised, confused or worried eyes, the audience can glimpse nine worlds with different styles and grotesque colors. The seemingly independent stories are moving forward layer by layer. The integration of emotions implies the theme of "Wonderland Entering the World·Vientiane People's Heart"-what is true? What is fantasy? Perhaps we can only find the answer by personally walking into this "Qitan" world and meeting different selves in it.

Qitan aesthetics expands its dimension again, ** Reality fables reveal people's hearts **

"China Qitan 2" brings together 12 directors in the creative lineup to jointly create nine animated short films with different styles. It not only brings back the original crew, but also brings in fresh power, jointly expanding the artistic expression boundary of "Qitan Universe." In the first season, the director brought a new masterpiece, which continued his personal style while achieving artistic breakthroughs: Chen Lianhua innovatively used felt free-motion animation in "Little Snow" after the paper-cut animation "Xiao Man" to explore the subtle boundary between family affection and control with gentle materials; Hu Rui continued the ink sketching and blank blank artistic conception techniques of "Goose Goose" and outlined the strange and mysterious desire fantasy in "Man in the Ear"; Yang Mu, who once showed his animation expression in the three-dimensional animation "Lin Lin", turned to a meticulous and lively Chinese cartoon style in the two-dimensional animation "How to Become Three Dragons", delicately depicting the growth process of the three little snakes on the road to immortal cultivation; Following "The Canteen", Gu Yang and Liu Kuang once again used warm and healing watercolors to perform a fantasy and warm comedy that took place in Beijing hutongs in "The Great Noble".

The newly added directors have injected more artistic expressions into the series: "Big Bird" directed by Du Pengpeng tells a story about redemption and protection in the style of a dark fairy tale;"Sanlang" directed by Ouyang Zhonghong combines desert martial arts and science fiction elements to show the dilemma of the Jianghu in self-obsession;"Paying to the Mountain" collaborated by Zhang Junjie and Zhou Xu shuttles between the fantasy and realistic Hakka culture and the modern city to discuss the connection between people and their hometown; In "Today's Zoo", Yang Yaci presents the world of "working animals" humorously and sharply with retro picture quality and pseudo-documentary style;"Xing Tian" directed by Zhang Yang combines three-dimensional technology and hand-painted texture, creating a rough and realistic style. The epic aesthetics of ancient myths are new.

At the level of thematic expression,"China Qi Tan 2" creates a series of fables deeply rooted in the context of China's cultural context through various narrative perspectives such as the blending of ancient and modern times and fantasy realism. Whether it is strange legends, the daily life of fireworks in the city, or a new world view full of imagination, the nine works all reflect the realistic issues of contemporary people in terms of self-identification, intergenerational emotions and ideal choices with unique aesthetic language. Audiences will follow the guidance of animation, re-examine the connection between themselves and others and society, find resonance in the fantasy plot, and see their own reality in the mirror image of the fable.

Chen Liao Yu, director-in-chief, said in the promotion that this season's works will blend tradition and modern aesthetics with unique imagination to tell stories rooted in the context of China; Li Zao, chief producer and chief producer, said that the new season pays more attention to thinking and responding to realistic issues.

The Qitan universe continues to grow, and the national creation animation develops systematically

Since its premiere in 2023, the "China Qitan" series has gradually built a "Qitan Universe" IP with sustained vitality and expansion. Based on diverse aesthetic styles and profound cultural heritage, this series continues to broaden the boundaries between its content themes and artistic expression through independent and echoing stories, demonstrating its content depth and IP commercial value. Double potential.

In terms of IP development and operation,"Qitan Universe" actively explores serialized and diversified content incubation models, and is committed to providing animation creators with an open platform for aesthetic experiments and narrative exploration. At the same time, through various methods such as derivative licensing, cross-border cooperation, and real-life entertainment, we will continue to extend the IP value chain and gradually build a complete ecosystem from short film development to long-term operations. This exploration not only enriches the style and theme dimensions of China's original animation, but also provides useful reference for the systematic development of national innovation IP and helps the inheritance and innovation of China's animation school in the new era.

"China Qitan 2" is jointly produced by Shanghai Art Film Studio, Shanghai Film Yuan (Shanghai) Cultural Technology Development Co., Ltd., Shanghai Kuanyu Digital Technology Co., Ltd. and Chen Liaoyu Studio. Suda and Zhu Benin serve as chief producers, Chen Liaoyu serves as chief director, Wang Jun, Li Zao, Li Ni and Cui Wei serve as chief producers, and Wang Jun, Li Zao, Zhang Shengyan and Cui Wei serve as chief producers.