A chaotic lion-dancing disaster child befriends the monster you're supposed to fear.
People in Hujiazhuang Village focus less and less on the Spring Festival. The lion dance boy Luo Chuan dreams of carrying forward lion dance culture and skills but often causes great turmoil wherever he goes. He's considered as a "dangerous element" by the villagers and the head Hu. The Monster Nian, comes to the human world by accident and takes away the lion head, the village's heirloom. While trying to get the lion head back, Luo Chuan gets to know Axi, the Immortal Mouse, that comes to the mortal world to catch the Monster Nian. They gradually realize Nian is not scary at all and can make friends with humans, but Hu makes a plot against Nian after being possessed by the Spirit-Devouring Demon. In the end, Luo Chuan and Axi, together with other villagers, defeat the Spirit-Devouring Demon and awakens Hu.
Practical Effects
Lion dance sequences that slap harder than they should.
Costume
Nian creature design: fluffy nightmare or friend?
Writing
Villain possession plot that commits to the bit.
Director
Liu Hongzhi
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The Nian legend traditionally explains why red and loud noises scare monsters—this film flips it into a friendship narrative.
The lion head as heirloom weaponizes actual Chinese cultural heritage preservation anxiety into fantasy conflict.
CN
