Hsia Meng

Coral, a Hong Kong woman tortured by city life, went back to her home town to visit her two old friends. They all found that some precious things in life which disappear through the years could never be recovered.

The film opens in a 19th century river town under lockdown by government troops. Word has reached the emperor that a band of rebels have hidden their families, including the leader’s son Erh Mao, in the town. Rebel supporters are spiriting the children to a boat that will take them to safety.

A Japanese photojournalist revisits Vietnam after the liberation to document the nation, and begins following and documenting the young children from a poor Vietnamese family.

Yang Mengchi is a spoiled, rich do-nothing whose habit of smoking opium has cost him his entire fortune and the family mansion, the Garden of Repose, now due to be sold to Yao Guodong. Fearing that Yao's spoiled and unruly son Siaofu will follow in Yang's footsteps, Yao's stepwife Wan Zhaohua tries to instil discipline in the child but her efforts are undermined by the child's indulging and protective father and grandmother. Unable to reform himself despite his own son's chastisement, Yang leaves home to lead a reclusive life in a destitute temple, only helped out by his filial daughter Han'er. The poverty-stricken Yang is drafted into the army and tragedy ensues.

Tragedy strikes two pairs of lovers and a family, just three days after a happy marriage.

Zhang Mingyang and Ding Huilan are newlyweds and very much in love. Yang's old lover, Wang Baozhu, pays a surprise visit and asks Yang to help her find her long-lost husband. In order to avoid the same mistake of his father-in-law being pestered by his jealous mother-in-law, Yang has to claim that Zhu is the mistress of his colleague, which causes the wives to be suspicious. After Lan learns the truth, she helps Zhu find her husband and exposes Yang's lies ......

After her husband's death in a car accident, Fang must endure the fury of her mother-in-law.

This is a story of how Ru Ji, a farm girl of Chao Kuo, who sacrificed her own life to save her country and people in the year 257 B.C.