It's a marriage between the old and the new. Traditional Chinese culture and creative animation certainly tied the knot at the 2016 Changsha International Comic and Animation Expo. The four-day expo, which wrapped up on Monday, attracted more than 240 animation companies that brought their original animations, virtual reality films and videos, and cartoons -- many of which integrate traditional Chinese culture.

Traditional culture shines at CICAE 2016

"At Crossroad", which is an animated opera featuring exquisite images and familiar arias, has a large youth fan-base and was a big draw at the event. The Peking Opera masterpiece is a story about chivalry, gratitude and revenge. The animated opera combines traditional opera arias with cartoons, and has inspired many young schoolers to take up studying opera.

Li Jianfeng, who pioneered the animation, began collecting opera resources from around the country a decade ago. She tells stories with Chinese folk music instruments and animation. Her work has become particularly popular with students.

To date, hundreds of animated operas including Peking Opera, Kunqu, Yu Opera and Yue Opera have been released. Some of them are already being integretated into school curriculums in hopes of cultivating an appreciation for traditional Chinese art in today's youth.