Synopsis
"Meet Yourself" is a 2023 healing pastoral drama with a Douban rating of 8.8, directed by Ding Ziguang and starring Liu Yifei and Li Xian. It tells the story of urban white-collar worker Xu Hongdou, who travels to Yunmiao Village in Dali to heal her soul after the death of her best friend. With the breathtaking pastoral scenery of Dali's Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake, it is hailed as the best healing drama of 2023, sparking a tourism boom in Dali after its release.
Overview
"Meet Yourself" is a pastoral healing drama that premiered simultaneously on Hunan TV and Mango TV on January 3, 2023. Directed by Ding Ziguang, it stars Liu Yifei and Li Xian. The series consists of 40 episodes and holds a high Douban rating of 8.8 (based on over 430,000 reviews), ranking 4th among the top 10 highest-rated Chinese TV series on Douban in 2023. The show is also available on Netflix and is one of the most successful Chinese dramas to go global in 2023.
"Meet Yourself" is one of the warmest healing works on Chinese screens in recent years. It lacks dramatic plot conflicts or suspenseful twists and turns. Instead, it offers a pastoral idyll set between the Cangshan Mountains and Erhai Lake in Dali, Yunnan—sunshine, gentle breezes, rice fields, flowers, and the daily lives of ordinary people. The reason this drama has received such high acclaim is its precise resonance with the deep-seated longing for a slower pace of life among contemporary urban dwellers. In this fast-paced era, everyone has an "Xu Hongdou" within them—a version of themselves that wants to let go of everything and find a good rest in a place with wind.
Plot
Xu Hongdou (played by Liu Yifei) is the front office manager of a five-star hotel in Beijing, working tirelessly and living a busy life. Her best friend, Chen Nanxing, is her closest companion. The two had planned to travel together, but Chen Nanxing's sudden death from illness plunges Xu Hongdou's life into a low point. Xu Hongdou decides to quit her job and travels alone to Yunmiao Village in Dali, Yunnan, where she stays at a guesthouse called "Windy Yard."
In Yunmiao Village, Xu Hongdou meets Xie Zhiyao (played by Li Xian), a young man who has returned to his hometown to start a business. Xie Zhiyao once had a high-paying job in Beijing but resolutely resigned and returned home to revitalize his hometown, dedicating himself to developing rural tourism and preserving intangible cultural heritage. Windy Yard is also home to a variety of tenants—including an online writer, a barista, and a failed entrepreneur—each arriving with their own stories.
Amid the pastoral life in Dali, Xu Hongdou gradually heals from the pain of losing her best friend. She walks at the foot of the Cangshan Mountains, cycles by Erhai Lake, learns tie-dye and embroidery, savors Bai ethnic cuisine, and participates in village markets and festivals. During this process, she develops genuine feelings for Xie Zhiyao and rediscovers her direction in life.
Cast
| Actor | Character | Introduction |
|---|---|---|
| Liu Yifei | Xu Hongdou | Five-star hotel front office manager who comes to Dali to heal after her best friend's death |
| Li Xian | Xie Zhiyao | Young entrepreneur who returned to his hometown to develop rural tourism |
| Hu Bingqing | Lin Na | One of the tenants at Windy Yard |
| Niu Junfeng | Zhang Mingyu | One of the tenants at Windy Yard |
| Wu Yanshu | Grandma | A kind and warm elder in the village |
Liu Yifei's performance is the highlight of the series. The character Xu Hongdou doesn't have many dramatic conflicts, but Liu Yifei's nuanced acting makes the character's emotional journey clearly visible—from the confusion and sorrow upon first arriving in Dali, to the relief and smiles as she gradually integrates into rural life, and finally to the determination and warmth after rediscovering her life's direction. Liu Yifei's appearance amidst Dali's pastoral scenery is as beautiful as an oil painting—sunlight on her face, a breeze through her hair, every frame like a poem.
Cultural Impact
After the broadcast of "Meet Yourself," it sparked a tourism boom in Dali. The scenery of the Cangshan Mountains and Erhai Lake, Bai ethnic tie-dye, pastoral life, and Windy Yard featured in the drama became popular tourist attractions. Many viewers, after watching the show, actually bought plane tickets to Dali to experience the slow life depicted in the series. The drama has been called Dali's best tourism promotional film.
The series also sparked social discussions about urban lifestyles. Under the pressures of the 996 work schedule and intense competition, more and more young people began to yearn for the slow-paced pastoral life portrayed in the drama. "Going to a place with wind" has become an expression of a lifestyle attitude.
References
- Douban Movie: https://movie.douban.com/subject/35662223/
- Baidu Baike: https://baike.baidu.com/item/去有风的地方
- Wikipedia: https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-cn/去有风的地方
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