Jan 9th, 2026 Friday Sunny
My husband and I recently finished watching a Chinese TV series, “meet yourself” (the literal translation of the title would be “go where wind blows” – to me, both versions are equally vague, and reveals little about the narrative).
It follows the protagonist, Hong Dou, who unexpectedly lost her best friend to cancer, felt completely lost and worn out. Having quit her job as a luxury hotel manager, she traveled to Yunnan province by herself, and stayed at a small, somewhat pristine village, where she met lots of friendly local people, bonded with a few girls of her own age, and eventually found her lifetime romance.
This series is well-received for its idyllic depiction of the breathtaking scenery, and the vivid stories of every single person in it. While Hong Dou has her own plot line, hers is by no means the only one – each man/woman/teenager/child has their highlight. Faced with unique challenges, they stumble, then one by one, they find a solution. The kind network around them provide support, but just as the name of the show suggests, you have to meet yourself in order to grow.
Unlike a typical series, this one does not rely on suspense to engage the audience. There is no obvious conflict at the end of an episode that prompts me to wonder what happens next. However, we find it fairly easy to keep up – the moment we hear the opening song, we seem to be mentally transported to that time and space, as we experience all the ups and downs together with the characters.
In fact, this style is tagged as “pastoral” and “healing”. The former is self-explanatory, but why is it healing? Why is it the case that people feel happier and relaxed (not necessarily excited or amused) after watching it, as they do with Ghibli studio movies?
Inside each show/movie in this “genre” (not sure this has been officially recognized), there is a real community, where people have meaningful connections with each other. Neighbors are nice and watch over the children/grandchildren, families are warm and genuinely caring, and friends are sincere – you may depend upon them at any time. While the list of cast is long, the slow pace affords us the opportunity to get to learn about each role well. They are distinctively interesting, and similarly likeable.
Above all, you know that everyone is trustworthy, that they harbor no ill will, and they all strive to make an honest living. No one tries to take advantage of others, or put on a fancy mask to gain approval. In that world, life is not tear-free – separations happen, hard decisions must be made, and no day can be perfect – yet it seems pure and simple.
I believe it is soothing because it reminds us that such a place still exists, OR it could.
Because truthfully, for most, if not all, of us, the society we currently live in is nothing like it.
So we need to have an escape, every now and then, even if it is like a dream.
Dreams can inspire and motivate people to work towards its creation. Perhaps, if enough people share and work together to build the same dream, it will eventually come true.