Release Date: 2026-04-30(China Mainland)

Director: Lan Hongchun

Cast: Li Sitong, Wang Yantong, Wu Shaoqing, Zheng Runqi, Wang Xiaohui, Usa Samkham, Zhao Shuguang

Production: Guangdong Pearl River Film Group, Guangzhou Yingming Culture Media, Beijing Maoyan Entertainment

Synopsis of the Dear You

Dear You is a heartfelt 2026 Chinese family drama jointly written and directed by Lan Hongchun, with co-writers Zheng Xuanxuan, Yang Leng and Zhu Liyun contributing to the layered storytelling. Primarily spoken in authentic Teochew dialect alongside standard Mandarin, the production deeply roots itself in the time-honored local culture of Chaoshan, a region in Guangdong province famed for its profound overseas Chinese heritage. Centered on the precious tradition of qiaopi—handwritten letters and remittance slips sent across borders by overseas Chinese compatriots, a cultural heritage recognized by UNESCO—the narrative revolves around Ye Shurou, an elderly Chaoshan woman who has clung to hope for half a century. Her husband Zheng Musheng left hometown for Southeast Asia decades ago to seek a better life, and she has spent all these years patiently waiting for his news through countless overseas letters. Burdened by heavy personal debts, her grandson Xiaowei makes a bold and impulsive decision to travel all the way to Thailand, determined to track down his supposedly wealthy grandfather and turn their difficult lives around. What he discovers overseas is far beyond his imagination, unraveling a touching secret that has been hidden for generations. Those sincere letters that accompanied Ye Shurou through tough times were never written by her husband Zheng Musheng. Instead, they came from a kind-hearted man named Xie Nanzhi, a stranger who chose to devote his lifetime to quiet companionship. For decades, his tender words comforted Ye Shurou as she endured poverty, raised three children alone and lived as a widow. The film features many local non-professional actors from Chaoshan communities, bringing raw and genuine vitality to every frame. It delicately captures ordinary local daily scenes, from preserving olives and making traditional rice cakes to worshipping at ancestral shrines, presenting a vivid portrait of regional folk customs. Spanning across Chaoshan in mainland China and Thai-Chinese communities in Bangkok, this cross-border tale runs for 118 minutes. Since its official release across mainland China on April 30, 2026, it has quickly become a widely discussed Chinese-language feature. Audiences and critics alike speak highly of its sincere narrative, exquisite presentation of regional culture, and unique interpretation of love built on lifelong companionship, self-sacrifice and unwavering loyalty.