Chang An

Synopsis

In the aftermath of the An Lushan Rebellion, the poet Gao Shi recalls his lifelong friendship with Li Bai — and the golden age of Tang Dynasty poetry that burned so bright and faded so fast. By Light Chaser Animation. Douban 8.3.

Overview

Chang An (Chinese: 长安三万里, literally '30,000 Miles to Chang'an') is a 2023 Chinese animated film produced by Light Chaser Animation, directed by Xie Junwei and Zou Jing. Set against the backdrop of the An Lushan Rebellion, the film follows the decades-long friendship between the poets Gao Shi and Li Bai, capturing the splendor and fall of China's greatest poetic age.

Released on July 8, 2023, it earned a Douban rating of 8.3 and grossed approximately 1.8 billion yuan ($253 million). At 168 minutes, it is one of the longest animated films ever made in China — and one of the most ambitious.

Plot Summary

Years after the An Lushan Rebellion, Tibetan armies press toward the Tang frontier. Gao Shi, military governor of Jiannan, struggles to hold the line. When a court eunuch arrives to monitor the campaign, Gao Shi recounts the story of his lifelong friendship with Li Bai.

As a young man from a fallen military family, Gao Shi meets the brilliant, free-spirited Li Bai on the road. Together they travel to the capital Chang'an and witness the Tang Dynasty at its peak. Where Gao Shi is steady and reserved, driven by a desire to serve, Li Bai is wild and untamable, a genius who lives for poetry and wine.

Over decades their paths cross and diverge. Li Bai enters the imperial court as a poet laureate, only to be exiled after political turmoil. Gao Shi fails his civil service exams again and again, eventually taking up arms during the rebellion and rising to military command. The great poets of the age appear one by one — Wang Wei, Du Fu, Wang Changling — their verses echoing through a thousand years.

Cultural Significance

Chang An is remarkable for grounding an animated film in real history and literature. The film features 48 Tang Dynasty poems, each woven seamlessly into the narrative and characters' emotions. When Li Bai's famous poem 'Bring in the Wine' (将进酒) fills the screen in a breathtaking visual sequence, audiences across China wept in their theater seats.

The film proved that Light Chaser Animation could do more than visual spectacle — it could tell stories that carry the essence of Chinese civilization. It opened a new direction for Chinese animation: using the medium to tell the stories of Chinese history and literature.

References

1. Douban: https://movie.douban.com/subject/36035676/
2. Wikipedia: https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/长安三万里
3. Baidu Baike: https://baike.baidu.com/item/长安三万里