The epic story Mei Lanfang, who overcame the prejudice against artists in 1930s China to become the country's greatest opera star.

Siao Yu needs a green card. Mario Moretti needs his debts paid. Getting married could solve their problems, or multiply them.

Young teen girl Xiu Xiu is sent away to a remote corner of the Sichuan steppes for manual labor in 1975 (sending young people to there was a part of Cultural Revolution in China). A year later, she agrees to go to even more remote spot with a Tibetan saddle tramp Lao Jin to learn horse herding.

A group of performing art troupe members each face their own trials and tribulations in Chengdu; from escaping a family scandal to dealing with unrequited love, each experiences rejection that shapes their lives.