rural China

His films like 'Raise the Red Lantern' and 'To Live' intimately portray rural Chinese life, traditions, and the impact of historical upheaval on village communities.

His documentary-style works such as 'Still Life' and 'A Touch of Sin' capture the transformations and struggles of rural and small-town China during modernization.

Films like 'Yellow Earth' and 'The Big Parade' explore rural Chinese landscapes and the intersection of tradition, ideology, and peasant life with poetic depth.