Wan Laiming and his brothers were China’s pioneers in animation, but their work was suppressed after the Cultural Revolution of 1966. The film was created at the height of the Chinese animation industry in the 1960s, and received numerous awards. It earned the brothers domestic and international recognition. The stylised animation, and drums and percussion accompaniment used in this film, are heavily influenced by Beijing Opera traditions. 

This season of Chinese films is part of the Belfast Film Festival Young Programmers project in association with QFT and supported by Film Hub NI. Peize Li, a former student of Queen's University, has selected the films based on the theme of minority groups in China and the diversity of Chinese cinema.

This film will play without ads and trailers and, as a result, will start promptly at the advertised time.