Abstract:

Filmmaker Phil Agland reveals the everyday drama and passion of contemporary China, a country "steeped in tradition and wracked by change," by focussing on life in one small town. Interwoven throughout the four segments of this documentary are the stories of a gang fight, in which one boy is killed, and the subsequent police investigation; a hill country teacher who leaves his charges temporarily in the care of a substitute while he takes a course to improve his skills; and the work of Dr. Tang who practices acupuncture and treats people with problems such as rheumatism and migraines as well as cerebral palsy. Although the focus is on the situation of children and youth in a changing world, the film does not ignore other elements of the community--the elderly, the entrepreneurs, the leaders of the "Street Committee, " etc.--or the history and physical splendour surrounding this small town in China.