Dear You
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2026 word-of-mouth hit · Chaoshan-language cinema

Dear You

Lan Hongchun's third Chaoshan-language feature turns a 14 million yuan production into a Douban 9.2 breakout with a 1.2 billion yuan box-office snapshot. Through Qiaopi letters, Southeast Asian Chinese migration, and nonprofessional performances, Dear You turns women's loyalty and family memory into a love letter across oceans.

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Breakout identity

A 14 million yuan Chaoshan film that became a Douban 9.2 phenomenon

Start with the film's identity and momentum: a small budget, powerful word of mouth, Chaoshan dialect, real overseas-Chinese story roots, and Qiaopi letters that turn a regional story into a wider diaspora conversation.

9.2

Douban word of mouth

Public reports recorded a 9.0 Douban opening score that rose to 9.2 from more than 706,000 users.

14M yuan

Low-budget breakout

With a reported 14 million yuan budget, the film became a striking 2026 case of audience-driven box-office momentum.

1.2 billion yuan

Latest box office snapshot

Public box-office snapshot as of 2026-05-28 15:33:51.

Trilogy finale

Chaoshan trilogy

After I Am Sure I Can and Take Me to See My Mom, Lan Hongchun's third Chaoshan-language feature expands local family feeling into Qiaopi letters, kinship, and migration memory.

Production scale

14 million yuan

The small production scale makes the film's national discussion and strong box-office lift especially notable.

Cultural motifs

Qiaopi / South Seas / nonprofessional cast

Qiaopi culture, the historical movement to Southeast Asia, and everyday performers define the film's cultural signature.

Story and Qiaopi

A two-timeline family search opened by one Qiaopi letter

The film does not rush to explain every twist. It lets Qiaopi letters, South Seas migration history, and the loyalty between two women carry the emotional weight.

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Story

Qiaopi are more than props; they are world memory

Qiaopi combined family letters with remittance records sent home by overseas Chinese and were inscribed on UNESCO's Memory of the World Register in 2013.

Story

Two timelines place mystery beside history

The present-day Thailand search carries comedy and suspense, while the historical timeline brings in South Seas migration, Chinese-language education overseas, and family wounds.

Story

Light spoilers preserve the aftertaste

The story keeps major reversals softened, using phrases like Qiaopi truth and decades of silent guardianship instead of spelling everything out.

Present day: a search in Thailand

To repay family debts, Xiaowei travels to Thailand looking for a long-lost grandfather rumored to be wealthy, only to find a family mystery underneath the comic setup.

Past timeline: crossing to the South Seas

The 1940s storyline follows Musheng as history pushes him toward Southeast Asia, turning one man's displacement into a memory shared by many Chaoshan families.

Core motif: Qiaopi letters

Qiaopi were letters and remittance records sent home by overseas Chinese. In the film, one sheet of paper carries kinship, trust, separation, and longing for home.

Market response and organic buzz

From 1.6% opening screenings to the 2026 annual top four

The breakout looks like an audience vote: low early screenings, high ratings, family recommendations, and Qiaopi memory pushed a small-budget film into the annual top four.

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1.6%

Opening-day screenings

The film opened with only 1.6% of screenings, then kept climbing through audience recommendations and platform discussion.

1.2 billion yuan

Box-office snapshot

Public box-office snapshot as of 2026-05-28 15:33:51.

10M+

Admissions

Seventeen days after release, more than 10 million viewers had seen the film, turning word of mouth into real theatrical attendance.

1.8B yuan forecast

Forecast raised

As the long-tail run continued, public reports on May 26 cited a Maoyan Pro forecast around 1.8 billion yuan.

9.0 -> 9.2

Douban score rise

The Douban score opened at 9.0 and public reports later recorded 9.2, strengthening the film’s high-reputation identity.

#LingeringAftertaste

Organic social buzz

Short-video topics and social posts around family letters, grandparents, and diaspora memory continue to amplify the film.

Box Office Snapshots and History

Latest box-office snapshot plus the breakout timeline

Live box-office snapshots and publicly reported milestones trace how a small-budget Chaoshan film climbed from limited screenings to a national breakout.

Box Office Board

Latest box office snapshot

2026-05-28 15:33:51

Current Rank #1

上映29天

Total Box Office 1.2 billion yuan

Public box-office snapshot as of 2026-05-28 15:33:51.

Today 15.01 million yuan

Same-day box-office snapshot as of 2026-05-28 15:33:51.

Forecast 1.8B yuan forecast

Public reports citing professional platforms on May 26, 2026 put the latest forecast around 1.8 billion yuan.

Box-office Share 78.2%
Screening Share 51.7%
Occupancy 58.3%

Cumulative Box Office Trend

Unit: 100M yuan

2026-05-28 15:33 12.02
0 9 18 05/15 05/16 05/25 05-28 预测

Historical milestones

China theatrical release

The film entered cinemas from a low-screening, regional-word-of-mouth starting point.

Douban score rose to 9.2

Public reports recorded the score continuing to rise from its 9.0 opening, further strengthening the film’s reputation.

Mother's Day daily box-office champion

Family viewing and organic recommendations combined, and the film began leading daily box office.

Cumulative box office passed 200 million yuan

On its fifteenth release day, nationwide box office passed 200 million yuan after four straight days at No. 1 on the daily chart.

Passed 300 million and reached annual top nine

Total box office reached 348 million yuan, admissions passed 10 million, and later forecasts continued to move upward.

Cumulative box office passed 500 million yuan

After eighteen release days, cumulative box office reached 505 million yuan and set a recent May Day romance-film record.

Box office passed 600 million yuan

Real-time tracking recorded the film crossing 600 million yuan while it continued holding the daily box-office lead.

Entered the 2026 annual top four

Public reports citing Beacon Pro put total box office at 1.113 billion yuan including presales, entering the 2026 annual top four.

Theatrical run extended to June 30

The official film account announced an extended release through June 30, giving word of mouth more time in cinemas.

Latest snapshot rose to 1.2 billion yuan

As of 15:33:51, the hourly snapshot showed 1.2 billion yuan total, 15.01 million yuan for the day, with a continued No. 1 live ranking.

APIZero / Maoyan Pro Hourly movie-box snapshot for 给阿嬷的情书. Open API docs Southcn / Maoyan Pro As of May 14, 2026, total box office passed 200 million yuan after 15 release days and four straight daily-market wins. Open report GamerSky / Maoyan Pro 279 million yuan, 300 million yuan milestone, 1.6% opening-day screenings, Mother's Day top rank, and 1.036 billion yuan forecast. Open report National Business Daily / Beacon Pro As of 15:16 on May 16, 2026, total box office reached 348 million yuan including presales and entered annual top nine. Open brief National Business Daily / Beacon Pro On May 17, 2026, the film passed 500 million yuan on its 18th release day. Open brief Southern Finance / Maoyan Pro As of May 19, 2026, Maoyan real-time tracking showed total box office passing 600 million yuan. Open report
Reactions and Organic Buzz

Tearful reactions, lingering emotion, and grassroots recommendations are widening the film's reach

Tear-point edits, short-video recommendations, and industry commentary show how the film's emotional aftertaste keeps spreading.

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Cut-scene focus

Across the stream, two blade-like letters, and the Chaozhou opera Yujiaolong

These restrained cut scenes became key points of discussion because they reveal how much emotion the film chooses to leave unsaid.

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Most-discussed tear point

Across the stream

Xie Nanzhi returns to Chaoshan carrying Musheng's spirit tablet and sees Shurou from across a stream during wedding preparations. She chooses not to disturb Shurou's peace and leaves in silence.

Douyin video · A cut-scene moment that carries one of the film's most discussed tear points. Open the original Douyin clip
Fan-discussion focus

Two blade-like letters

Shurou's letter urging her husband to remarry and Nanzhi's final letter before memory loss form the missing emotional thread many viewers keep asking about.

Cut-scene report · Public reporting on kapok imagery, letter foreshadowing, and editing choices. Read the cut-scene report
Women's inner strength

The Yujiaolong opera echo

The exchange about the Chaozhou opera heroine Yujiaolong frames Nanzhi and Shurou as women who retain agency and dignity under historical pressure.

Cut-scene report · Background on the opera-within-the-film and its link to female solidarity. Read the Yujiaolong section
Nonprofessional performers

Everyday faces give Dear You its strongest sense of truth

The cast story is part of the film's appeal: a finance student, a local Chaoshan creator, and an unemployed young man become part of the movie's lived-in texture.

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Li Sitong

Young Xie Nanzhi · Sophomore finance student at Guangdong University of Finance and Economics

Lan found her after seeing her in short-form video during a long search. Her lack of formal acting polish became part of Nanzhi's vivid naturalness.

Wu Shaoqing

Older Ye Shurou · 84-year-old local Chaoshan creator

Known for a more outward style in daily life, she delivers restrained emotional force under Lan's direction, including an improvised line that became a central tear point.

Wang Yantong

Zheng Musheng · Unemployed young man

His plain, street-level sincerity made him feel close to an ordinary young Chaoshan migrant pushed abroad by history.

Full Credits

Director, writers, cinematography, editing, and music

Beyond the nonprofessional performer story, direction, writing, cinematography, editing, and music form the film's creative backbone.

Director

Hongchun Lan

Writers

Hongchun Lan / Leng Yang / Xuanxuan Zheng / Liyun Zhu

Cinematography

Tao Hai

Editors

Hongchun Lan / Dong Peng

Music

Yihan Li / Zehua Wu / Leng Yang

Production company

Damai Entertainment

Role additions

Li Sitong · Young Xie NanzhiWang Yantong · Zheng MushengFang Peisong · Xie Nanzhi's fatherLi Deru · Xiaowei's auntLi Shuhao · Xiaowei's uncleUsha Seamkhum · Older Xie NanzhiWang Xiaohui · Young Ye ShurouWu Shaoqing · Older Ye ShurouZhao Shuguang · Xiaowei's uncleZheng Runqi · Xiaowei
Arcade buildings at Shantou Small Park
Photo: Sgnpkd / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
Thai Buddhist Hall at Chaozhou Kaiyuan Temple
Photo: Thyj / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
Filming locations

The Chaoshan of Dear You is more than one street

The location map connects Shantou, Chaozhou, and Jieyang, pairing film scenes with old-town memory and travel routes for viewers tracing the story on the ground.

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Shantou Shantou Small Park
Chaozhou Longhu Ancient Village
Chaozhou Thai Buddhist Hall, Chaozhou Kaiyuan Temple
Jieyang Mianhu Jiefang Road
Jieyang Xiqi Stone Bridge
Arcade buildings at Shantou Small Park
Photo: Sgnpkd / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

Shantou Small Park

Film scene: A historic arcade district that evokes the point of departure and return in South Seas migration memory.

Travel note: A visual shorthand for Shantou's treaty-port history and hybrid urban architecture.

Related topics: Shantou Small Park / Dear You filming location / Chaoshan arcades

Longhu Ancient Village

Film scene: Used to recreate the texture of a 1950s Thai Chinese street scene.

Travel note: Dense Chaoshan clan architecture and old-town lanes make it a slow-walk location for architectural detail.

Related topics: Longhu Ancient Village / Chaoshan ancient village / South Seas atmosphere

Thai Buddhist Hall at Chaozhou Kaiyuan Temple
Photo: Thyj / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

Thai Buddhist Hall, Chaozhou Kaiyuan Temple

Film scene: A visual bridge between Bangkok memory and the Chaoshan homeland.

Travel note: A rare Thai-style Buddhist hall in the region, naturally carrying the film's Southeast Asia and homeland connection.

Related topics: Thai Buddhist Hall Chaozhou / Kaiyuan Temple Thai Hall / Thai-style Buddhist architecture

Mianhu Jiefang Road

Film scene: A street-level setting that carries old-town daily life and Musheng's memory through the frame.

Travel note: A Lingnan townscape that can be paired with food, craft, and old-street walks.

Related topics: Mianhu Jieyang / Mianhu Jiefang Road / Chaoshan old street

Xiqi Stone Bridge

Film scene: A century-old bridge that becomes a quiet symbol of hometown longing.

Travel note: A visit point for film fans and a natural stop on a slower Chaoshan memory route.

Related topics: Xiqi Stone Bridge / Denggang Jieyang / Dear You location

Chaoshan Culture Extensions

From Qiaopi letters to arcades, the film's Chaoshan world keeps opening outward

Locations are more than check-in points. Each culture card connects a film scene, a real place, and keywords that bring screen memory back into Chaoshan streets.

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World memory

Qiaopi letters and remittances

Qiaopi were both family letters and remittance records, carrying trust, longing, and economic support from overseas Chinese to home villages.

Related topics: Shantou Small Park / Qiaopi references

Read Qiaopi references
Migration history

Crossing to the South Seas

Behind Musheng and Nanzhi is the broader Chaoshan experience of leaving for Southeast Asia to survive. The film places that history inside one family's letters.

Related topics: Longhu Ancient Village / Thai Buddhist Hall

Read South Seas context
Language

Chaoshan dialect and family memory

Dialect makes the characters speak from inside family life rather than through generic lines. For overseas Chinese readers, language itself becomes a route home.

Related topics: Chaoshan old streets / family scenes

View language references
Opera echo

Chaozhou opera Yujiaolong

The reported opera-within-the-film frames Nanzhi and Shurou through a heroine's agency, explaining the sharper edge beneath the film's restraint.

Related topics: Chaozhou / Chaozhou opera culture

Read cut-scene report
Architecture

Chaoshan arcades and old streets

Arcades, stone bridges, and old streets hold the spatial memory of leaving and returning. Fans can connect Small Park, Mianhu, and Xiqi Stone Bridge into a slow route.

Related topics: Shantou Small Park / Mianhu Jiefang Road / Xiqi Stone Bridge

View locations
Southeast Asia link

Thai Buddhist Hall and overseas Chinese memory

The Thai Buddhist Hall in Chaozhou brings Thailand's visual memory back into Chaoshan, carrying the film's movement between Bangkok, overseas Chinese life, and home.

Related topics: Thai Buddhist Hall, Chaozhou Kaiyuan Temple

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