The Monkey King and Nezha — two iconic mythological figures made famous by the 16th-century classic Journey to the West, which has inspired many movies, TV shows, and cartoon works — were among the festival's biggest attractions.

Ne Zha 2, China's biggest box-office hit and the world's fifth highest-grossing film of all time, won the Golden Monkey King Awards' top honor: the General Award for Animated Feature Film.

"The success of Black Myth: Wukong and Ne Zha 2 reflects the strong appeal of traditional Chinese culture and the growing popularity of domestic productions among audiences," says Xu Jiang, vice-chairman of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles.

Josh Selig, a veteran American television producer who delivered a master class speech during the festival, describes Ne Zha 2 as a "funny, thrilling, and completely original film".

"It clearly demonstrates China's great creative and technical prowess. Most of China's leading animation studios contributed to this film, so it's truly the product of the entire Chinese animation industry. I believe we are entering a renaissance of Chinese animation, and Ne Zha 2 is the first of many triumphs," he adds.