Xiaofeng is selling medicinal herbs in Longshan Temple, but is at first driven away by Taiwanese peddlers upset by the intrusion of a mainlander into their business. Later, Xiaofeng auditions for a radio station, where a young Taiwanese man is attracted to her and finds he is soon in competition with a photographer from a mainland family.
Acting
Chuang Hsueh-Fang's restrained desperation in the audition scene.
Production
Authentic 1962 Taipei temple atmosphere, documentary-level detail.
Writing
Dialogue that encodes political trauma in romantic rivalry.
Director
Pai Ko
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Shot during the White Terror period, the film had to encode political commentary about Mainlander-Taiwanese conflict within romantic melodrama to avoid censorship.
Longshan Temple was a real marketplace hub where post-1949 Mainlander refugees and established Taiwanese vendors actually clashed — the opening scene documents genuine tensions of the era.
No ratings yet
Sign in to join the discussion — comments are spoiler-gated to your watch progress.
Discussion starters
TW
