Chinese cartoonists and animation experts have put their heads together, for the future of the industry. At the 2009 Annual Animation Meeting, held in Hainan island, one idea was to use China's rich history as inspiration.

China's animation industry has been flourishing in recent years, thanks to the growing attention and support from the government. More and more animation companies have thrown themselves headlong into creating original productions.

Domestic produced cartoons have secured a solid fan base in China. But how to make 'made-in-China' cartoons popular overseas, is the next challenge.

Many experts suggested production companies should investigate what the overseas audience wants and try meeting their demands.

Yin Xiaoxiang, Today Animation Company, said, " We would test the water by pre-selling cartoons in the international market. The response we receive from overseas buyers and media will then decide if we should continue producing the cartoons or not. "

Another gnawing fact is that China's animation market is still dominated by overseas productions. Statistics show that 88-percent of cartoons that young Chinese people love, are from Japan, Europe and America. After 80 years, China's animation industry is still young, and still has a number of weaknesses to tackle.

But many experts have suggested China use its rich treasure trove of culture and history as inspiration for cartoon creation. If animators can fully tap into China's traditional culture, their original cartoons would be more absorbing and competitive.