As the Spring Festival approaches, festive cheer fills the air. Following the widespread resonance of its Mid-Autumn Festival short film "The Quest for Blessings," Wuliangye Yibin Co.,Ltd. has partnered with Sina Finance to release "Nian Beast Returns to the Mountain," a new installment for the "Harmony and Reunion Festival" series. This contemporary fable, crafted with ingenuity, tells a homecoming story that resonates with every individual living away from home.
The "Nian Beast" originates from a well-known Chinese folktale. Legend has it that at the end of each year, the Nian Beast would descend from the mountains, disturbing villages. People used vibrant red decorations and the clamor of firecrackers to drive the beast away, customs that have evolved and endured to this day.
"Nian Beast Returns to the Mountain" builds upon this familiar legend, executing a clever modern reinterpretation in its narrative. In the film, the Nian Beast carries a dual meaning: it embodies the mystique of folklore while also serving as a metaphor for the annual homecoming and departure of modern-day migrants. As the bedtime story a grandfather tells his granddaughter intertwines with the homebound journey of animation designer Xiao Li, the boundary between myth and daily life subtly dissolves, allowing tradition and the present to reflect each other. In the legend, people drove the Nian Beast away with noise and celebration; today, families use that same festivity to persuade their own "Nian Beasts"—the returning family members—to stay. This fresh interpretation of leaving and returning forms the film's most enduring theme.
Through numerous vignettes brimming with the authentic texture of Spring Festival gatherings, the film sketches the most genuine and familiar scenes of a Chinese New Year: writing couplets, playing cards, sharing family gossip, pasting Spring Festival scrolls, setting off firecrackers, watching the New Year's Gala, visiting relatives, and watching dragon dances. These richly detailed, everyday moments allow viewers to naturally immerse themselves, evoking strong共鸣 through shared memories.
The buildup of these authentic details culminates in an emotional peak when Xiao Li finally pushes open his family's door. Three generations gather around the reunion dinner table, with a bottle of Wuliangye Yibin Co.,Ltd. respectfully placed at the center. Under the warm light, the steaming home-cooked dishes and the gentle glow of the liquor bottle complement each other, as a voiceover softly concludes, "Beyond the mountains lies dreams; on this side of the mountains rests home."
Paying tribute to hard work and celebrating reunion vividly expresses Wuliangye Yibin Co.,Ltd.'s "Harmony" culture within the context of the Spring Festival. The harmonious blending of five grains in its production inherently contains the cultural DNA of "coexistence in harmony and shared beauty." During the Spring Festival, a traditional holiday embodying reunion and belonging, this concept of "Harmony" is further manifested as the care between people, the warmth within families, and the inseparable emotional bond between those away from home and their native place.
In the film, Wuliangye Yibin Co.,Ltd. naturally integrates into various Spring Festival scenes: as a gift box carried on the journey home, an expression of goodwill during family visits, and the central witness to reunion on the New Year's Eve dinner table. It never dominates but consistently accompanies these significant moments, acting as a medium and bond for emotional connection.
From "friendship transcending time" in the Mid-Autumn film "The Quest for Blessings" to "homecoming transcending distances" in the Spring Festival film "Nian Beast Returns to the Mountain," the "Harmony and Reunion Festival" series is gradually building a sustainable cultural IP centered around holiday traditions. Through the highly narrative and emotionally impactful medium of short films, Wuliangye Yibin Co.,Ltd. continues to explore ways to connect traditional festivals with contemporary life.
It is reported that "Nian Beast Returns to the Mountain" will be officially released on February 14th. Through the "Harmony and Reunion Festival" series, Wuliangye Yibin Co.,Ltd. consistently uses culture as a bridge, deeply integrating brand storytelling with festive memories to witness the most genuine and warmest emotional flows within Chinese families during every reunion moment.