Young teen girl Xiu Xiu is sent away to a remote corner of the Sichuan steppes for manual labor in 1975 (sending young people to there was a part of Cultural Revolution in China). A year later, she agrees to go to even more remote spot with a Tibetan saddle tramp Lao Jin to learn horse herding.
Li Xiaolu
as Wen Xiu
Lopsang
as Lao Jin
Zheng Qian
as Li Chuanbei
Lü Yue
as Father
Gao Jie
as Mother
Li Zhizhi
as Sister
Lü Zhong
as Belt Man
Qiao Qian
as Chen Li
Jiang Cheng
as Rider A
Yang Xiaoyu
as Girl