The Wan Brothers (Chinese: 萬氏兄弟) were 20th century animators born in Nanking, China.[1] They became the founders and pioneers of the Chinese animation industry[2] and made the first Asian animation feature-length film, Princess Iron Fan in 1941.[3]
The era in which the Wan brothers operated was a rather challenging one for building an industry.[4] The brothers lived through the Second Sino-Japanese War,[5] World War II and the Cultural Revolution. They also made the famous cartoon animation, Havoc in Heaven.
| English Name | Chinese Name | Born | Died |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wan Laiming | 萬籟鳴 | January 18, 1900 | October 7, 1997 |
| Wan Guchan | 萬古蟾 | November 19, 1995 | |
| Wan Chaochen | 萬超塵 | 1906 | October 28, 1992 |
| Wan Dihuan | 萬滌寰 | 1907 | 1990 |
Their father was in the silk business. Their mother was a seamstress.
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