About the studio
Founding and State Media Animation Pedigree
CCTV Animation Group Co., Ltd. (originally established in March 2007 as CCTV Animation Co., Ltd., before officially reorganizing into the CCTV Animation Group in January 2020) is the flagship state-owned animation production, broadcasting, and intellectual property conglomerate of China Media Group (CMG) and China Central Television (CCTV) [1][2]. Based in Beijing, China, the organization traces its creative roots back to the animation department of CCTV established in the 1980s, which produced the foundational television cartoons of modern Chinese broadcasting [1][3]. CCTV Animation was formally incorporated to build a centralized, world-class national animation enterprise capable of producing high-volume, culturally enriching television programming, nurturing domestic artistic talent, and promoting traditional Chinese cultural heritage on the international stage [2][3].
Foundational Classics and National Cultural Icons
Throughout the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s, CCTV Animation produced some of the most universally recognized and culturally beloved animated television series in Chinese history [1][2]. The studio's productions defined the childhoods of multiple generations across mainland China [2][3]. Landmark animated series produced by the studio include Journey to the West (Xiyouji, 1999), a masterclass 52-episode classical 2D adaptation of the literary classic, Little Carp's Adventures (Xiao Li Yu Li Xian Ji, 2006), The Legend of Nezha (Na Zha Chuan Qi, 2003), and the enduring contemporary family comedy Big Head Son and Small Head Dad (Da Tou Er Zi he Xiao Tou Ba Ba) [1][3][4]. These series combined classical Chinese brushwork aesthetics, moral education, and vibrant character animation, broadcast nationwide across CCTV-14 (Children's Channel) and regional networks to hundreds of millions of households [2][4].
Theatrical Modernization, International Co-Productions, and Scale
In 2020, CCTV Animation underwent a historic corporate restructuring, formally launching CCTV Animation Group to accelerate commercialization, digital 3D computer animation, and international co-productions [1][2]. The group manages multi-million-dollar theatrical film franchises, regularly releasing high-budget feature films during the Spring Festival and summer holiday corridors [2][3]. Furthermore, CCTV Animation Group has spearheaded prominent international co-productions, collaborating with foreign state broadcasters and premier studios in Russia, the Czech Republic, and South Africa on cross-cultural animated series such as Krosh and Panda [1][4]. Operating extensive digital rendering facilities, national character licensing networks, and nationwide television distribution channels, CCTV Animation Group remains the preeminent institutional pillar and cultural beacon of Chinese television animation [1][2][3][4].
Cultural Stewardship and Educational Media
CCTV Animation Group actively preserves traditional Chinese art forms by integrating paper-cutting, shadow puppetry, and ink-wash aesthetics into modern computer-animated projects [1][2]. The studio regularly hosts national animation forums and sponsors young animator development programs across premier Chinese art academies [2][3]. Through its dual commitment to cultural stewardship and modern digital storytelling, CCTV Animation Group continues to represent the creative vitality of Chinese animation to the world [1][4].