As the director of the Shanghai Animation Film Studio, he would raise the standard to International level before other historical events affected the industry.
They were the first ones to experiment with primitive film technology adapted from the United States and other parts of the world, and were often inspired by foreign cartoons that made it to Shanghai.
Wan Laiming was also at the Chinese anti-Japanese National Film association[4] as part of the leftist movement.
They would set the standard in attempting to create a film of equal quality for the nation's honor.
Though at the time the city was considered a "Solitary Island" since it was semi-occupied by Japanese forces as part of the Second Sino-Japanese War.
Princess Iron Fan, the first Chinese animation of notable length, would be complete and shown as a proud achievement to some of the remaining people who haven't left the city.
Wan Guchan wanted to draw a plan for the next project Havoc in Heaven.
In 1954 Wan Laiming went to Hong Kong and returned to Shanghai by autumn of the same year.
The movie would win International awards officially putting China on the map in terms of a nation capable of producing high quality animation films.