Cartoonist Xia Da, 28, recently became the first Chinese to be published in UltraJump, Japan's top animation magazine.

Xia's cartoon, Zi Buyu, tells the story of a 9-year-old girl who moves to a small town with her family and witnesses a string of strange events. It has won Xia great popularity among the Japanese cartoon clubs: Xia currently ranks in the top three hot topics among cartoon clubs, according to Internet search engines.

Xia said she thought people were playing a joke when she first heard her cartoon had been published in UltraJump. But now that she knows it's true, she said she regards it as an encouragement to China's cartoon industry.

Under her penname "April," Xia has published many works in Chinese magazines, such as Beijing Cartoon and The Friend of Cartoon. She also won an award for outstanding young cartoonist.

Although Xia's cartoons originate from Western culture, they incorporate many Chinese cultural elements. "Traditional Chinese culture is my favorite", Xia said, adding that her skills and experience are borrowed from ancient cultures.