The film takes place during work on the water reservoir, outside Beijing's Ming Tombs, in 1958 at the beginning of the Great Leap Forward. The film follows how workers and leaders are working together to get it done. The film's final 25 minutes is a future interpretation of how it will look like 20 years after it has been completed with the water reservoir.
The People on the Grassland is one of the earliest “minority nationality films” produced in the PRC. It features Mongolian herders who serve the people in the struggle against the forces of the KMT. The film was released in China in 1953 and became particularly well-known for its songs and theme-music.
