As a decades-old state-run aeronautics munitions factory in downtown Chengdu, China is being torn down for the construction of the titular luxury apartment complex, director Jia Zhangke interviews various people affiliated with it about their experiences.

Located somewhere in Beijing, the editorial department of "Guide to the Human World" brings together six intellectuals with distinct personalities. These colleagues encounter all kinds of people amid Reform and Opening-up, with many situations unfolding around them. This series is hailed as China's first television sitcom.