The Revitalization Application of Traditional Chinese Dragon Motifs in
Cantonese-Mandarin Bilingual Animated Character Design: A Study Based on the
Perspective of Arts and Crafts in Cantonese-Speaking Regions
Tong Chaoran He Zhiyao¹
（1.Tong Chaoran, He Zhiyao School of Fine Arts and Design, Shaoguan University，China）
[Abstract]Against the backdrop of accelerated industrialization of Chinese animation and heightened cultural confidence, traditional Chinese dragon motifs—one of the most recognizable visual symbols of Chinese culture—have frequently appeared in animated character design. As an important medium connecting the cultural markets of the mainland and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Cantonese-Mandarin bilingual animation must not only carry the shared cultural memory of the Chinese nation but also address the unique challenge of responding to the regional cultural identity of Cantonese-speaking audiences. Taking the dragon motifs in the arts and crafts of Cantonese-speaking regions (including Guangzhou embroidery, Chaozhou embroidery, Guangzhou enamel, ivory carving, wood carving, and stone carving) as a reference framework, and integrating cultural semiotics and visual rhetoric theories, this study employs grounded theory and case analysis to conduct a systematic examination of dragon character designs in representative Cantonese-Mandarin bilingual animation works in recent years. The findings reveal that the dragon motifs in the arts and crafts of Cantonese-speaking regions have formed a unique aesthetic system distinguishable from the imperial dragon motifs of the Central Plains in four dimensions: formal dynamics, color system, compositional characteristics, and symbolic connotations. The revitalization of these regional dragon motifs in Cantonese-Mandarin bilingual animation follows a threefold pathway of "symbol extraction—grammatical translation—contextual reconstruction," driven by the interplay of regional cultural consciousness, digital technological empowerment, and industrial adaptation for Cantonese-Mandarin bilingual content. This study systematically identifies the formative grammar of Cantonese regional dragon motifs, reveals the transformation logic from "regional patterns" to "animated characters," and offers both theoretical and practical references for the cross-media transformation of traditional motifs and the animated expression of regional cultures.
[Keywords]Traditional Chinese dragon motifs; Cantonese-Mandarin bilingual animation; character design; arts and crafts in Cantonese-speaking regions; cultural revitalization
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