WW3.0

Two elves and a scroll: Chinese military releases animated film about Taiwan



The Chinese military released an animated short film on National Day that shows parts of a scroll painting torn in two more than 300 years ago being reassembled, demonstrating the mainland’s determination to integrate self-ruled Taiwan into the community.

The pieces of “The Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains,” one of China’s best-known ancient paintings, are kept separately in museums in China and Taiwan, the democratically ruled island that Beijing claims as one of its provinces and reserves the right to take over by force.

On National Day Sunday, the People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command, known for warlike videos of exercises around Taiwan, released an animated short film called “Dreams Come True on Fuchun River” that appeals to the shared cultural roots of the people on both sides Taiwan Strait.

The film showed two elves representing the two parts of the painting by Yuan Dynasty master Huang Gongwang, which was torn apart by one of its owners in the 17th century.

At the end of the film, the two characters came together and magically made the painting whole again. 

The shorter piece of the scroll, known as “The Remaining Mountain,” is about 51 cm long and is located at the Zhejiang Provincial Museum in Hangzhou City. Taiwan’s National Palace Museum has kept the 640cm-long “Master Wuyong Scroll” since the 1950s.
A quick reunion

The two pieces were reunited in 2011 when China loaned its fragment to the Taiwanese museum for two months, at a time of warmer relations as Taiwan pursued a policy of economic rapprochement with China.

But in recent years, as relations have cooled, China has stepped up its military activities around Taiwan, including exercises last month that Beijing said were aimed at combating separatist forces.

At the same time, China is drawing up ambitious plans to “integrate” the economies of its Fujian province and Taiwan on both sides of the Taiwan Strait and offering Taiwanese companies the opportunity to participate in a joint development plan, something Taiwan’s government has rejected.

While China is keen to woo Taiwan with the promise of economic gains, the threat of a violent takeover of Taiwan remains.

During the two elves’ journey in the film, the Eastern Theater Command included footage of aircraft carrier formations and J-20 fighter jets to remind viewers of its battlefield prowess.