Tung Hsiaowen

The painter Hu Mai was attracted to the beauty of Mei Lin, a girl in her youth, so Hu did a portrait of her named The Picture of Youth. A wealthy businessman Cao Bin brought this painting and got to know Mei Lin in person. Now Mei Lin has to chose who she should marry to, between the good hearted but poor painter Hu Mai, and the wealthy but ill-natured Cao Bin.

Yang Mengchi is a spoiled, rich do-nothing whose habit of smoking opium has cost him his entire fortune and the family mansion, the Garden of Repose, now due to be sold to Yao Guodong. Fearing that Yao's spoiled and unruly son Siaofu will follow in Yang's footsteps, Yao's stepwife Wan Zhaohua tries to instil discipline in the child but her efforts are undermined by the child's indulging and protective father and grandmother. Unable to reform himself despite his own son's chastisement, Yang leaves home to lead a reclusive life in a destitute temple, only helped out by his filial daughter Han'er. The poverty-stricken Yang is drafted into the army and tragedy ensues.

Tragedy strikes two pairs of lovers and a family, just three days after a happy marriage.

A rich businessman's family is in straitened circumstances. He has a son and four daughters, but only the youngest daughter lives a positive life.

Zhang Mingyang and Ding Huilan are newlyweds and very much in love. Yang's old lover, Wang Baozhu, pays a surprise visit and asks Yang to help her find her long-lost husband. In order to avoid the same mistake of his father-in-law being pestered by his jealous mother-in-law, Yang has to claim that Zhu is the mistress of his colleague, which causes the wives to be suspicious. After Lan learns the truth, she helps Zhu find her husband and exposes Yang's lies ......

Three stories about art stages. "Film City", "Drama Group" and "Dance Class".

The film tells the story of Yang Naifan (Ruan Lingyu) who runs from her arranged marriage to be with her true love, Li Zuyi (Jin Yan). The film details the poverty she must endure for breaking with tradition.

A Chinese film

A financially struggling office worker goes into debt in order to afford traditional holiday gifts for his boss and landlord. Part of Hong Kong Film Awards' 100 Best Chinese Movies.