Prologue

One can’t help but recall the nostalgic trend sparked by renowned Chinese film director Jia Zhangke(1*).

The work begins and ends with the image of a cow. The cow's symbolism largely derives from humanity's spontaneous reverence for an animal that has accompanied humans for thousands of years. In a religious context, the cow is a highly respected symbol in most known religions worldwide. As FENG suggests in this film,

"The sleeping golden cow is like the many silent villages in China, where population loss is so severe that even the spirits guarding the land seem to have fallen asleep."

Ultimately, the golden cow leaves the village with the protagonist's spirit, symbolizing a metaphysical, spiritual symbol. Within the context of this film's theme of "China's rural population decline," the act of the sacred golden cow sleeping seems to add another layer of spiritual meaning—reflecting passive personal experiences or darker aspects of human nature. The sleeping cow also connects to words like decadence and masturbation, symbolizing the collective decline—ultimately, the rural areas’ "death" against the backdrop of urbanization. Coincidentally, the film includes a funeral, reinforcing the atmosphere of sorrow and decay. This sense of decline, infused with magical surrealism, permeates the entire work, forming its underlying tone.

Expansion

“This is not a pipe"(2*)

—The ultimate reflection on "reality and meaning."

Although the story takes rural China as its prototype, it incorporates many symbols from modern Western art. These include the painting style of Dadaism(3*) and Magritte’s(4*) apple. These symbols appear abruptly, like their placement in the protagonist's rural setting, strengthening the FENG's sense of absurdity and nihilism. The passive recipient of this bleak energy is the protagonist, a left-behind child who is neither understood nor cared for. His parents' detachment and the indifference of selfish relatives lead the young man into a tragic life, mirroring the fate of rural China in this era. It's worth noting that his parents are long-term migrant workers in the city, too preoccupied to care about him. His relationship with his parents parallels the relationship between rural areas and cities in modern China. The countryside needs more urban resources for development and renewal, but it seems to be left to fend for itself. In this context, the author seems to use Western values to assess the state of rural China, concluding with absurdity and meaninglessness, as expressed through Dadaist elements.

Nihilism and absurdity spread unchecked throughout the story until the "guitar rain."

Twist

“I want to give you my pursuit and my freedom."

—Rock music, originally an import, officially became part of contemporary Chinese culture when Cui Jian(5*) performed “Nothing to My Name” at Beijing Workers' Stadium, marking the start of Chinese rock music.

Suddenly, guitar rain falls on the village, and afterward, people begin holding a funeral for an "unknown person." A cricket enters through the window, triggering the protagonist’s longing for a breakthrough in paradigms—a postmodern spiritual awakening. He rushes out, stumbling across the fields. Seeing the desolate fields and crooked Buddha statues, he throws himself toward the open space filled with guitars. After catching his breath, he picks up a guitar and strums along with the burning offerings at the funeral, igniting the absurd village with the sound of rebellion and the deconstruction of old orders. His body, like his spirit, eventually leaves this nihilistic world. Here, the electric guitar represents rock music—a sharp rupture with an old paradigm. In this decaying and fake village, rock music’s rebellion is like the fire at a funeral, burning away all meaningless matter.

To Come Together

In the end, the protagonist achieves a kind of "rebirth" in his spiritual awakening, corresponding to his personal awakening amidst the desolate times. The sacred golden cow, symbolizing the pure pursuit of the nation, finally opens its eyes and starts moving toward the unknown. Unlike the personal voice being swallowed by the tide of the times, the protagonist’s awakened spirit revives the golden cow, which carries his spirit out of the village. For a conflicted mind, this seems to be the greatest care an era can provide. Even if abstract, this era can hear your voice and remember your existence and spirit. The portrait of the deceased, whose face is obscured by Magritte’s apple, seems to represent rural China itself—an urban form that has sustained the Chinese people for thousands of years. The funeral seems to symbolize the urbanization process, bidding farewell to traditional rural concepts.

1* Jia Zhangke is a well-known Chinese film director and screenwriter recognized as one of the leading figures of the "sixth generation" of Chinese films. Jia, born in 1970 in Fenyang, Shanxi Province, is known for his works that realistically depict contemporary Chinese society, especially the rapid transformation brought about by economic development and globalization. His films often focus on the lives of ordinary people, documenting the struggles, displacements, and alienation individuals experience in modern China.

2* René Magritte， “The Treachery of Images,” Oil paint, 1928–1929, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Private collection. René Magritte， “The Treachery of Images,” Oil paint, 1928–1929, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Private collection.

3* Dada was an avant-garde art movement that emerged in Europe in the early 20th century, especially around 1916, as a reaction to the horrors and absurdity of World War I. Dada artists sought to challenge traditional artistic, cultural, and political values by embracing chaos, irrationality, and absurdity. They reject traditional aesthetics and emphasize spontaneity, irony, and the absurdity of modern society

4* René Magritte (1898–1967) was a Belgian surrealist artist known for his thought-provoking and mystical paintings that challenged the viewer's perception of reality. Magritte’s work often places ordinary objects in unusual circumstances, creating paradoxes and encouraging viewers to question the relationship between objects, language, and meaning. His approach is marked by meticulous, almost photographic realism, often contrasted with dreamy or absurd subjects.

5* Cui Jian, born on August 2, 1961, is a Chinese musician, singer-songwriter, and pioneer of Chinese rock music. Cui, known as the "father of Chinese rock", is known for combining traditional Chinese music with Western rock, punk, and folk elements.