Our Shining Days
Our Shining Days is a 2017 Chinese coming-of-age musical film directed by Wang Ran, starring Xu Lu and Peng Yuchang. Set in a fictional music school, it follows Chen Jing, a talented yangqin player, as she navigates a rivalry between the Chinese Orchestra and the Classical Orchestra.
Chen Jing falls for Wang Wen, a gifted pianist who looks down on traditional Chinese instruments. To prove herself, she forms her own band, 2.5 Dimension, with her best friend Li You and four Otaku girls who joined for the chance to buy expensive anime figurines. They perform at an Animation, Comics, and Games convention but face rejection, and Wang Wen’s prejudice against Chinese music leaves Chen Jing heartbroken. Her mother reminds her that the yangqin is part of who she is, and she should not give up.
The school plans to phase out the Chinese Orchestra, but the original 2.5 Dimension members and other students protest. A music competition between the Chinese and Classical orchestras shows that their styles can blend, and an inspector is impressed. The two groups decide to work together, and they perform at a live youth concert, earning praise from the audience.
The film finishes with new students arriving and many wanting to learn the Chinese Orchestra again. It received generally positive reviews, with praise for Xu Lu’s performance and for its hopeful portrayal of young people pursuing music. One reviewer, Edmund Lee of the South China Morning Post, called it light but entertaining and noted its youthful spirit.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 18:47 (CET).