The Legend of Qin (TV series)

China's first 3D animated wuxia series.

Last updated 10 October 2026

The story spans from the founding of the Qin dynasty in 221 BC to its fall in 206 BC.^[1] Robin Shen produced and Chen Qianyuan directed the Chinese CG animated wuxia series The Legend of Qin, also referred to as Qin's Moon.^[2] Sparkly Key Animation Studio, located in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, produced what is recognized as China's first 3D animated series.^[3]

Last updated 2026-10-02 from the source article.

Making and release

A special titled "Birdsong in Hollow Valley" tells the story of Baifeng and his friend Moya.^[4] Taiwanese writer Sayling Wen authored the novel of the same name that serves as the basis for the series.^[3] To record the rapid fight sequences, the production employed motion capture technology.^[5] Internationally renowned film stars and veteran performers were brought in to act out the combat scenes, aiming to replicate a live-action feel in the CG animation.^[5]

What the cited sources add

A 2014 article from people.com.cn states the series is China's first 3D animated series.^[3] A 2014 article from China Daily mentions the story revolves around Jing Tianming maturing into a hero who changes history.^[6] The same article adds that they join the Mohists in Machinery City, who seek protection from Confucianists in Shanghai after being attacked by Qin forces.^[7] According to a 2021 China News article, Tianming encounters his guardian, the expert swordsman Ge Nie, who turned against the Qin Empire to safeguard him.^[7]

References

Wikipedia, "The Legend of Qin (TV series)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Lawrence R Sullivan, "Historical Dictionary of Chinese Culture", Rowman & Littlefield, 15 January 2021, p. 23; "山东玄机科技信息技术有限公司落户高新区将打造中国动漫制造基地", Qingdao National High-tec industrial development zone, 2018-12-06 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, "The Legend of Qin (TV series)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Macdonald, "Animation in China: History, Aesthetics, Media", Routledge, 2016, p. 188; ""弹幕"挑战观影习惯引入影院是宣传噱头？", 2014-09-15; "《新秦时明月》缘何备受期待传递文化精髓是关键", news.hebei.com.cn, 2021-11-27 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, "The Legend of Qin (TV series)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "《秦时明月》曝主演阵容陆毅陈妍希情陷江湖", people.com.cn, 2014-12-17; "3D动漫《秦时明月》故事复杂励志"小小白"受热捧", people.com.cn, 2014-08-03; Wu Pyaung, "数字动画《秦时明月》的文化与艺术融合之美", 2017-04-27; Li Changcan, "炫动传播携手玄机科技升级《秦时明月》品牌战略", Hang Zhou Gov.cn, 2011-04-29 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, "The Legend of Qin (TV series)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "动漫IP再发力畅游《秦时明月》页游首日流水百万", people.cn People's Daily Online-Game Channel, 2014-08-18 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, "The Legend of Qin (TV series)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "乐彩网_首页" (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, "The Legend of Qin (TV series)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "《秦时明月》组合拳出击大电影8月8公映", china daily:culture-film and television, 2014-05-15 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia, "The Legend of Qin (TV series)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "动画《新秦时明月》定档11月25日原班人马回归", China News, 2021-11-22 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article The Legend of Qin (TV series) (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.