Chinese Cartoons: 熊出没

Having visited China for 2 months when I was 6 years old, I was exposed to the countless cultural differences between China and America at a young age. Some of the most memorable moments from my trip to China consisted of watching cartoons with my family. Despite the innumerable amount of shows I’ve discovered in China, cartoons such as 熊出没 (xióng chūmò), or Boonie Bears, were always my favorite. Now, I always feel nostalgic revisiting 熊出没 (xióng chūmò)––watching the show helps me learn new Chinese vocabulary too!

熊出没 (xióng chūmò) is an animated show that features an arrogant lumberjack named 光头强 (guāng tóu qiáng) who does everything in his power to chop down all the trees in the forest. Although sawing down the trees might seem like an easy task for any lumberjack, 光头强 (guāng tóu qiáng) encounters two bears in the woods, 熊大 (xióng dà) and 熊二 (xióng èr), who try to save their habitat from deforestation. In nearly every episode, 光头强 (guāng tóu qiáng) confronts the two bears in the woods, and both forces attempt to outsmart the other in order to achieve their goal. Even though 光头强 (guāng tóu qiáng) is seldom victorious against the witty bears, he never feels discouraged and remains conceited. Every episode, he devises a new plan to overpower 熊大 (xióng dà) and 熊二 (xióng èr).

熊出没 (xióng chūmò) is a very popular cartoon in China, having won several awards. It first premiered in 2012, and now has over 700 episodes! In addition, the Mandarin show has been translated into many other languages, including English, Spanish, and French.

I’m so glad I came across 熊出没 (xióng chūmò) during my trip to China. I think it was a show that enhanced my ability to speak Chinese when I was younger, and it also made me incredibly happy to watch! Although it may appeal to a younger demographic, I definitely recommend everyone to watch at least one episode of it on YouTube!

Here’s a link to a Youtube playlist of 熊出没 (xióng chūmò) episodes!

Sources:

https://www.fantawild.com/en/comic_xcm.shtml

https://www.fantawild.com/en/NewsList/Show/1146.htm