In 1948, while working on A Wedding in the Dream, director Fei Mu completed another film in just three months—a work that would go on to become one of the most celebrated films in Chinese cinema. Upon its initial release, Spring in a Small Town received a modest response and was largely forgotten for decades. Yet, over time, it was rediscovered, revisited, and ultimately recognized as the masterpiece it had always been.

In 2005, the Hong Kong Film Awards invited more than one hundred film professionals to select the “100 Best Chinese-Language Films of the Century.” Spring in a Small Town took the top spot, ranking ahead of A Better Tomorrow and Days of Being Wild. It has also long been regarded by international filmmakers and cinephiles as one of the greatest Chinese films ever made.

The year 2026 marks the 120th anniversary of Fei Mu's birth. To commemorate the occasion, the China Film Archive undertook a new 4K restoration based on the film's original 35mm nitrate negatives. Through meticulous research, the restoration team also reconstructed the film's original musical score and created a 5.1-channel soundtrack, bringing a new dimension to its audiovisual experience.

In September 2026, the newly restored 4K version premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival's Classics program. It subsequently made its Asian premiere as the Opening Film of the 10th Pingyao International Film Festival, where the screening venue itself was named “Spring in a Small Town.”

Now, in its newly restored 4K presentation, audiences have a rare opportunity to experience Fei Mu's masterpiece as never before. Rediscover one of the greatest works of Chinese cinema on the big screen！