Since 2015, the Chinese animated film industry has seen unprecedented growth, expanding its influence into the global market. The country saw its annual box-office revenue surge by 48.7 percent year-on-year in 2015, propelled by dozens of blockbusters. That year is also remembered as the start of the rise of Chinese animation, led by the dark horse hit Monkey King: Hero is Back. China Daily revisits some of the most acclaimed animated films in the last decade.

Monkey King: Hero is Back (2015)

Based on the 16th-century novel Journey to the West, Tian Xiaopeng's directorial debut recounts a young boy's accidental rescue of the Monkey King, imprisoned under a mountain for 500 years as punishment for his rebellion against the heavens. The film earned 956 million yuan ($130.8 million), becoming the highest-grossing animated film of 2015.

Big Fish & Begonia (2016)

Set in a mystical world parallel to the human realm, the film follows a 16-year-old girl from the mystical world who transforms into a dolphin and ventures into human society where she encounters a human boy. The movie won widespread attention mainly due to its visual beauty and lengthy production process, which took 12 years to complete.