In Peking in the 13th year of the Republic of China, the traditional theater troupe "Mingchun Troupe" was struggling under the impact of Western art. Shen Yanli (A Li), the daughter of the class leader, has a ticket to study piano in London, but she is trapped by her pipa skills, the friendship of the troupe and the shadow of her mother's death - should she follow the new trend and leave her hometown, or should she stay and protect the dying tradition? The poaching of the Tianjin troupe and the hidden past of stepmother Wang Shuxian made this decision even more confusing.
Purpose: The work mirrors the troubled times of the Republic of China, and uses the Mingchun Troupe's persistent protection of traditional folk arts such as pipa to reveal the persistence of individual lives in cultural roots in the drastic changes of the times; through the transformation of Ali's academic career and the intertwining of the fate of the theater troupe, it explains that the inheritance of skills is not only the continuation of techniques, but also the passing on of national spirit and civilization. It ultimately points to how cultural genes can become the spiritual backbone that supports the survival of a nation in troubled times.