A penetrating look at urban life in contemporary China, this film takes us into the rhythms of the great train station in Wuchang, a city of four million in Hubei province, 240 kilometers south of Beijing. We watch long lines of passengers guided and exhorted to be orderly by station employees, who win red flags for neat rows of travelers. Young and old workers talk about their daily lives, the impact of the revolution, their jobs. We witness the retirement party of 60-year-old Lin Pingjie, celebrated with thermoses of tea, drums and cymbals, and resounding speeches. At home, Lin Pingjie, his daughter who will replace him at the station, and others in his family discuss their aspirations.