40 minSeason 1 • Episode 38
LatestThe beautiful melon seller, Ye Liuxi, and the shadow puppet performer, Chang Dong, join forces to venture deep into the desert. One seeks to unravel the mystery of their origins, while the other aims to retrieve the remains of his deceased girlfriend. As they encounter numerous anomalies in the uninhabited area, they are led to the weathered Yumen Pass. They navigate between the Imperial Guards, Taoist Priests, and the Scorpion-Eyed, unraveling the truth amidst various enigmas, and gaining insights into true love through numerous life-and-death trials. The truth seems within reach, but they find themselves ensnared in an even larger conspiracy.
Cinematography
Gobi Desert shots so vast you'll feel your own insignificance.
Production
Practical creature effects that look expensive and deeply unholy.
Acting
Ni Ni's Ye Liuxi—feral, wounded, and impossible to look away from.
Creator
Wei Yu
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Yumen Pass was the actual western gateway of the Han Dynasty Silk Road; the series weaponizes real geography as supernatural liminal space.
Ni Ni trained for months in traditional shadow puppetry to perform her own puppet manipulation scenes—no hand doubles.
CN
