The Czech cartoon series The Mole debuted on Channel One of China Central Television on July 13.

A ceremony was also held in Beijing to celebrate the return of the cartoon, which received an overwhelming response when it was first aired in the country 30 years ago.

Czech-based PPF Group has granted CCTV with a one-year permit to broadcast the classic cartoon, which has added new series over the decades. It was created in 1957 by late Czech artist and film director Zdenek Miler.

The cartoon portrays a charmingly naive mole and its adventures. The lovely figure has become a worldwide star, with related films and books translated into some 40 languages and broadcast or published in more than 80 countries.