The Chinese title for “Meet Yourself” is “Going to a Place Where there is Wind”. Wind is a very important concept in the Chinese culture. It is the source of life, a flow of air and energy; without wind, a place is like a pool of dead water. This story is set in a fictional Shangri-la called Yun Miao Village, a sleepy hamlet. The drama is shot at Feng Yang Yi, an actual village near Dali in Yunan Province where many of the Bai people, one of the many minority ethnic groups, live.

To my delight, the drama is directed, and screen written by the same director and screen writers for “Go Ahead” and “Find Yourself”. The first episode makes me cry, empathizing with the characters of their misfortune and loss, but this is not a heart-wrenching story. Indeed, it is a story about normal life of normal people with normal experiences, embellished with humor.

In today’s world, most working people are just like Xu Hongdou (Liu Yifei aka Crystal Liu), mindlessly working like a robot, in pursuit of materialistic rewards. Xu Hongdou wants to buy a car and an apartment in Beijing which is ever so unreachable with her paycheck. Just like most people would, a shattering life event can change the outlook of life for a person, and it does for Xu Hongdou in the untimely death her best friend, Chen Nanxing (Wu Qian aka Janice Wu); she’s abruptly awoken, finding herself lost. She begins to question the meaning of life and what she wants in life herself. She has no answers.

Xu Hongdou quits her job and leaves Beijing. She flies all the way to a tranquil and idyllic village in Yunan and rents a room for several months in a cozy cottage. There, she meets a struggling web novel writer, a failed entrepreneur, a fallen livestream singer and a down-and-out musician. All these people have come here to lick their wounds, to reflect and to recharge; each has a story. They become good friends, help, learn from each other and grow. But most of all, Xu Hongdou meets the man of her life, a successful investor who has returned to his village with a vision and a noble mission.

Almost all 40 episodes of the story have taken place in the little Yun Miao village and its surroundings such as the ancient old city and Erhai (a giant lake that is called a sea). Some impatient viewers may find it slow and boring, but the overall plot is about life, and how to look at life philosophically, and how our characters grow against all odds. It is more like a travel journal, documenting all the people Xu Hongdou meets, all the things she eats, does and sees, including the birth of a colt from start to finish. It focuses on the village, the inhabitants’ traditions, culture, and family relationships. Most of the elderly women don in traditional costumes, some sell their handicrafts and food products in the marketplace.

The romance is mature and slow burning, not unlike how real people would have experienced. Xie Zhiyao (Li Xian) doesn’t confess his love for Xu Hongdou until Episode 26 and tells her to go have a life she is searching for by letting her return to Beijing. That confession is moving. Their official romance starts only in Episode 31 when they kiss, and for the rest of the drama, they are like bee and honey, sweet and lovely. The director and screenwriters have given the romance buffs some very heartwarming loving scenes of the lovebirds till the end - almost 9 episodes of solid sweet romance.

Liu Yifei is amazing as Xu Hongdou. She is beautiful, elegant and natural with no visible makeup. She speaks softly, gently and poetically. Li Xian’s performance is just as good as the handsome, affable and warmhearted Xie Zhiyao. The whole cast is wonderful with very convincing performances by the older actors as grannies, and the juvenile actors as village kids. Like Wu Qian, Zeng Shunxi’s appearance as a lowkey bookstore investor/strategist is very brief. There are no nasty characters, no ex-boyfriends nor ex-girlfriends, and no love triangles. The settings are idyllic and comforting, rich with heritage and culture of a minority group. The efforts to bring prosperity to the village and at the same time, balancing conservation and preservation of the traditional way of life of the inhabitants, are challenging and inspiring.

The official soundtracks are lovely, consisting of several English songs, most accompanied by acoustic instruments. A few of the songs used are from the previous drama Go Ahead. I particularly love the lullaby which is repeatedly played and sung throughout the drama; it is endearing and gives a sense of nostalgia and homeliness.

My Verdict

If you love China and its beautiful people, you'll love this drama. If you love travel and to live an idyllic lifestyle, you will love this drama. If you have fallen and are hurting, you would love this rejuvenating story and its background setting. If you're an urbanite and would like to get away from your dreary life as an armchair traveler, this is your drama. If you're a dreamer and love a layback lifestyle that allows you to dream your dreams away, you’ll find inspirations here. If you're none of the above, simply just want an authentic beautiful drama to watch, you'd love this drama.

Some critics find this drama a promotional tourism project. Indeed, after the airing of the drama, tourism picks up by almost 2,000% in the once sleepy Shangri-la. Visitors jam the few cafes and restaurants, and walk the historical Tea Horse Ancient Path (茶马古道). Many take pictures with the cottage Xu Hongdou once stayed. That said, I have enjoyed the great breath-taking views and the message of the drama.

As it goes, “Time never stops, happiness is never limited. Sometimes there are dark clouds, but there is always wind.”

Realistic! Beautiful. Great watch! Highly recommended!