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During China's Warring States period, poet-politician Qu Yuan wrote Li Sao, the lead poem in the anthology Chu Ci. More than 2,000 years later, Hong Kong animation director "Kong Kee" Kong Hong-chuen started making a movie called Li Sao Huan Jue, or Dragon's Delusion.
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The project is able to kick off because Kong and two other animators managed to raise HK$1.5 million through crowdfunding.
That was far short of the HK$8 million target, but was enough to produce a 10-minute "preface."
"That's a good start," Kong said.
One of the animated movie's producers is the program director of Hong Kong Arts Centre, Teresa Kwong Pui-see.
She told me: "Kong Kee's project is worthy of support.
"We joined the project last year and set up a joint company for the work, taking part in making the short segment, dubbing and lining up musicians. We will help bring this epic endeavor of local artists to fruition."
Kong said: "Our generation is heavily influenced by Japanese anime to which our fantasy world is closely related. Animation is in its starting phase in Hong Kong. Hopefully, this project would become a platform for the further development of this genre locally.
"The Dragon's Delusion plot spans the ancient past and the present day with patriotic poet Qu Yuan transforming into a robot. It is a story of death and rebirth, showing that we have arrived at the sci-fi era."
Kong's imaginative power is thoroughly expressed in his work.
Kong has a track record of having the courage to try. "We can play a middleman role and will help with distribution when the movie is completed," Kwong said.
The preface has been completed and is ready for showing. But what about the rest of the movie? Where would the funding come from?
Kong said: "It's possible to get a government subsidy but it wouldn't be as easy as it is for non-animation productions.
"We can also request Animation Support Program for assistance. One step at a time."
I asked Kong if he could produce the movie in parts as funding comes in, breaking it up into part I and II, or even three parts. Kong didn't think it would work.
"Doing it like that would require more money. If we are going to make the movie, we need to do it in one go.
"As long as we persist, the movie will be completed one day," he said.
Terence Chang Cheuk-cheung is the retired headmaster of Diocesan Boys School
