▁of ▁Notre ▁D ame , ▁Tony ▁B anc ro ft ▁was ▁offered ▁to ▁co - direct ▁the ▁film ▁following ▁a ▁recommendation ▁from ▁Rob ▁M ink off , ▁co - direct or ▁of ▁The ▁Lion ▁King , ▁to ▁Sch um acher , ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁accepted , ▁and ▁joined ▁the ▁cre ative ▁team ▁by ▁early ▁ 1 9 9 5 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 4 , ▁the ▁production ▁team ▁sent ▁a ▁select ▁group ▁of ▁art istic ▁super vis ors ▁to ▁China ▁for ▁three ▁weeks ▁to ▁take ▁photograph s ▁and ▁draw ings ▁of ▁local ▁land marks ▁for ▁insp iration ; ▁and ▁to ▁so ak ▁up ▁local ▁culture . ▁Key ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁cre ative ▁team ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁– ▁Pam ▁Co ats , ▁Barry ▁Cook , ▁Ric ▁S lu iter , ▁Robert ▁Walker , ▁and ▁Mark ▁H enn ▁– ▁were ▁invited ▁to ▁travel ▁to ▁China ▁as ▁a ▁research ▁trip ▁to ▁study ▁the ▁landscape , ▁people , ▁and ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁original ▁legend . ▁From ▁June ▁ 1 7 ▁to ▁July ▁ 2 , ▁ 1 9 9 4 , ▁the ▁research ▁trip ▁fle w ▁to ▁Be ij ing , ▁China , ▁which ▁is ▁where ▁Pam ▁Co ats ▁became ▁inspired ▁by ▁the ▁pla cement ▁of ▁flags ▁on ▁the ▁Great ▁Wall . ▁They ▁also ▁tou red ▁Dat ong , ▁Lu oy ang , ▁X i ' an , ▁Ji ay ug uan , ▁Dun hu ang , ▁and ▁Gu il in . ▁ ▁Writing ▁In ▁its ▁earliest ▁stages , ▁the ▁story ▁was ▁originally ▁conce