Abstract: The century-long exploration of Chinese animation is essentially a history of technological evolution guided by cultural coordinates. From the Wan brothers’experiments in localizing celluloid animation to the contemporary advancements in Artificial Intelligence Generated Content (AIGC)-powered intelligent creation, Chinese animators have constructed a unique animation language system through the dialectical development of“learning from foreign strengths”and“upholding cultural integrity.”Throughout this century- spanning journey, Chinese animation has advanced under the dual impetus of“instrumental rationality”and “value rationality.”While technological innovation has shaped national aesthetics, cultural subjectivity faces new challenges in the realm of digital simulacra. In the era of digital intelligence, maintaining creative autonomy and cultural roots has become a core issue for the future of Chinese animation. This article, from the perspective of media archaeology, reveals the cultural logic behind these technological iterations and offers insights into constructing a new animation paradigm for the modern era that combines technological autonomy with cultural subjectivity.

Key words: Chinese animation, celluloid, media archaeology, indexicality, digitalization, AIGC