Which is the most famous cartoon character in your country? Americans may say Mickey Mouse, while it's likely that Belgians would proudly mention Tintin. And in China, the title would probably go to Sanmao, a really thin boy with only three hairs on his head.
The story of Sanmao starts with his moving to Shanghai to make a living. Losing his parents when he was a baby, Sanmao has nobody to depend on and has to take on many different jobs, such as selling newspapers, cleaning shoes and showing kung fu. But still, it's hard for him to make enough money. He has to sleep on the streets and strangers often laugh at him and play jokes on him. However, Sanmao is still a kind boy and often shares whatever little food he has with beggars.
Readers believe Sanmao's experience shows us some of the hardest moments of Chinese history in the twentieth century. Using the line-drawing, the artist wrote no words and used the simplest lines to show the complexity（复杂）of life in old Shanghai.
"When I read the books as a kid, I could only remember the stories. But as I got older, I started to understand the irony(讽刺) of this comic lines. They include many historical backgrounds," said a comic fan born in the 1980s."In term of the plot, drawing style, and the reflection on society, the Sanmao series is truly a great work."
