A City of Sadness

A City of Sadness

Year: 1989

Runtime: 158 mins

Language: Chinese

Director: Hou Hsiao-hsien

DramaHistoryHumanity and the world around usPolitics and human rightsTragic sadness and captivating beauty

It follows a Taiwanese family caught in the White Terror, the Kuomintang’s anti‑communist campaign that terrorized the island from 1947 to 1987. Through arrests, surveillance and pervasive fear, the film portrays how the political repression upended their daily lives and left lasting wounds on the nation.

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Timeline – A City of Sadness (1989)

Trace every key event in A City of Sadness (1989) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

End of WWII and Taiwan’s tentative joy

The film opens with Emperor Hirohito's surrender on August 15, 1945, as his voice crackles from radios across Taiwan. In the coastal town near Taipei, people celebrate the end of fifty years of Japanese rule and the arrival of a new wave of mainland migrants, including KMT troops, gangsters, and idealists. The Lin family stands at the heart of these changes as they await births and adapt to the unsettled new normal.

1945-08-15 Coastal town near Taipei, Taiwan
2

Lin Wen-hsiung runs Little Shanghai and awaits his child

Lin Wen-hsiung, patriarch of the Lin family, runs a bar called Little Shanghai and remains the central figure in the household. The family eagerly anticipates the birth of his youngest child while the town buzzes with postwar energy and tension. His bar serves as a social hub that mirrors the era’s shifts and loyalties.

1945 Little Shanghai bar, Lin family town
3

The second son’s wartime disappearance in the Philippines

The second son served as a military doctor but disappeared in the Philippines during the war, leaving the family with unresolved fears and a sense of loss. This wartime backdrop casts a long shadow over the postwar period as veterans, refugees, and shifting loyalties reshape Taiwan’s streets. The absence of news gnaws at the family’s sense of security.

During World War II Philippines
4

Wen-ching, the deaf photographer with leftist leanings

The youngest son Wen-ching is a photographer with leftist leanings and a childhood accident left him deaf. He remains close to Hiroe and Hiroe's sister Hiromi, navigating a town in turmoil. His disability heightens his empathy and makes him particularly attuned to the era’s social divides.

1945-1949 Lin family home / town
5

Wen-liang’s Japanese past and Kuomintang arrest

Lin Wen-liang had been recruited by the Japanese to Shanghai as an interpreter. After the defeat, he is arrested by the Kuomintang on charges of treason, triggering mental distress and a long hospital stay. His imprisonment underscores the precarious fate of people with controversial pasts in the postwar climate.

Post-1945 Taiwan (hospital) and Shanghai
6

Wen-hsiung intervenes and Wen-liang’s imprisonment

When Wen-hsiung learns of his brother’s illegal activities, he tries to intervene to prevent further trouble. The Shanghainese mob retaliates by arranging Wen-liang’s imprisonment on false charges of collaboration with the Japanese. In prison, he is tortured and sustains brain damage, deepening the family’s wounds.

Late 1940s Taiwan prison
7

February 28 Incident and martial law

The February 28 Incident of 1947 erupts, with thousands of Taiwanese people massacred by Kuomintang troops. The Lin family follows radio broadcasts, including Chen Yi’s declaration of martial law to crush dissent. The atmosphere of fear reshapes daily life and future choices.

1947-02-28 Taiwan
8

Wounded flood into clinic; Wen-ching arrested then released

After the massacre, the wounded pour into the neighborhood clinic for treatment. Wen-ching is arrested at one point during the crackdown but is eventually released, reflecting the precarious and sometimes arbitrary nature of postwar justice. The episode shows ordinary lives caught in political violence.

1947 Neighborhood clinic
9

Hiroe seeks guerrillas in the mountains

Hiroe heads for the mountains to join leftist guerrillas, embracing the resistance against the authorities. Wen-ching wrestles with whether to join the struggle or protect his new family. The rugged terrain and clandestine meetings highlight the era’s dangerous politics.

1947 Taiwan mountains
10

Wen-ching chooses marriage over joining the guerrillas

Wen-ching expresses his desire to join Hiroe’s guerrilla band, but Hiroe persuades him to return home and marry Hiromi, who loves him. The decision marks a personal retreat from armed struggle in favor of family duty. The couple’s union becomes a fragile beacon amid ongoing turmoil.

1947 Hiromi’s home
11

Wen-hsiung’s death in a casino confrontation

In a gambling confrontation with the Shanghainese mob, Lin Wen-hsiung is shot and killed. The sudden death deepens the family’s grief and foreshadows more losses to come. The funeral deepens the sense that violence touches every generation.

Mid- to late- 1940s Casino
12

Wen-ching and Hiromi marry; a child is born

After Wen-hsiung’s funeral, Wen-ching and Hiromi marry at home, and Hiromi soon bears a child. Their union embodies resilience amid political chaos and provides a fragile beacon of hope for the next generation. The new family stands together against uncertain times.

Post-1947 Home
13

Guerrilla resistance is defeated; survivors urged to escape

Hiroe’s guerrilla group is defeated and many members are executed, with survivors forced to abandon their posts. They inform Wen-ching of the fate and urge him to escape, illustrating the brutal crackdown on dissent. The episode underscores the era’s overwhelming suppression of opposition.

Late 1940s Taiwan countryside
14

Wen-ching arrested again as crackdown tightens

Following the guerrillas’ defeat, Wen-ching is arrested by the Kuomintang for his involvement with them, leaving Hiromi and their child at home. The arrest marks the closing note of the era of open resistance as authoritarian rule tightens its grip on daily life. The home becomes the last refuge for the family.

Late 1940s-1949 Home

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 14:31

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