Synopsis

A temple deep in the mountains of Hengyang, Hunan, where a group of monks live a monotonous life. They eat, sweep the floor, chant, bell and drum, and sleep, day in and day out. A nunnery on Dongzhou Island, Hengyang, Hunan, where a group of nuns lead a similarly monotonous life, day in and day out. A musician (Empty Rain) living in Guangzhou lives a life of great hardship. He tries to make a CD of his music and sells it on a stall in Dali, but no one has heard of him. Empty Rain has a lover and two children. The lover works in the canteen of a nunnery and the two children are raised by Empty Rain's parents. During his time selling CDs in Dali, Empty Rain thought about becoming a monk, but he couldn't let go of his wife and children. As his career was at a standstill, he had no choice but to live in extreme hardship. At a time of rapid material development, the desire to survive and the desire to make money are invariably imposed by the social system and mainstream ideology. Where do we go from here?