Like Somewhere over the Dreamland, the film is woven from three separate narrative strands: the Guey Lun-mei character and a Japanese tourist (Kajeyama Yukihiko) meet because of the calligraphy Cold Food Observance; Guey Lun-mei also has an abortive love affair with a freelance writer (Leon Dai); and artifacts from NPM are followed from mainland China to Taiwan.
和《夢幻部落》一樣，影片中有三條微妙牽引的故事線：桂綸鎂與蔭山征彥飾演的日本遊客，因為蘇軾的《寒食帖》結緣；桂綸鎂與戴立忍飾演的自由作家之間，兩人曖昧而不圓滿的情感；以及故宮文物從中國撤離到台灣的流離際遇。