Sir Ian McKellen narrates, while Michael Wood journeys to the places that shaped him, bringing together the life, times, and poetry of China's greatest poet, Du Fu. This is the first film about Du Fu made for a Western audience. Wood follows Du Fu’s path by road, train, and river, meeting modern-day people – dancers and musicians – who illuminate the story of a poet whose words have echoed through history. Du Fu wrote about the hardships faced by ordinary people during war, corruption, famine, and natural disasters, famously asking, "I am one of the privileged. If my life is so bitter, then how much worse is the life of the common people?"
