A Macao Team's Comic Wins the Chinese Comics Golden Dragon Award

It's so exciting to see talent from our region continue to shine! On October 2, the winners of the 23rd edition of the Chinese Comics Golden Dragon Award were announced, and the illustrated comic Cong Qian You Zuo Shan (从前有座山), created by a Macao team, won the Animation of the Year award.

This project is a guofeng-style illustrated manga, meaning it has a 100% Chinese aesthetic, and it was developed by the children's book brand Shangshang Lianchuang, in which the Macao team was fully involved. The news was confirmed by the China News Service agency, which covered the awards ceremony.

The jury highlighted that Cong Qian You Zuo Shan is rooted in Eastern philosophy and touches on themes like courage, faith, responsibility, and decision-making—the kind that resonate with us no matter our age. And it's not just a nice award: the numbers back up its success. The first edition sold over 800,000 copies and reached the top spot on the overall sales list of Dangdang, one of China's largest online bookstores. The second edition flew off the shelves: 40,000 copies in 24 hours.

Chen Jiang receives the Animation of the Year award at the Golden Dragon ceremony.chinanews.com.cn

An award with a Macao flavor

Who picked up the award? None other than Chen Jiang, co-founder and chief operating officer of Shangshang Lianchuang, and also vice president of the Macao Youth Federation. In other words, a representative of the Macao community carrying the flag of Chinese comics to the top.

Chen Jiang spoke with China News Service and made it clear what this recognition means: it's a validation of the original team's work, which has spent years creating illustrated books about Chinese culture and translating them into multiple languages to take them abroad. His wish is for more young people from Macao to get involved in the cultural industry and take advantage of the city's role as a bridge for exchange with the world.

For those of us who live and breathe anime and manga, this kind of news is a reminder that the comic industry in Asia goes far beyond Japan. China is betting big on its own illustrated stories, and Macao is becoming a key hub for that expansion.

What do you think about a Chinese comic winning such an important award? Would you like to see more collaborations between Macao and mainland China in the manga world? Let us know in the comments.