Before the Beijing Asian Games in 1990, a group of elementary school kids compete for the chance to participate in a martial arts performance for the opening ceremony. In this coming-of-age story, kind-hearted An Jianjun pursues his dreams through sweat and tears, friendship and betrayal. The comedy depicts Beijing locals in precise, humorous, and loving detail.
During a brutal Japanese offensive, a skirmish leaves only a handful of children and a few soldiers to carry an important command west along the Great Wall.