Shower (2000): Ratings, Box Office & Plot

An aged father known to everyone as Old Liu, [Zhu Xu], and his younger, mentally challenged son Liu Erming, [Jiang Wu], run a busy, old-school bathhouse in a winding Beijing neighborhood. This is not just a place to wash; it’s a small world where a dozen rooms hum with daily rituals and small dramas. The bathhouse offers a mix of services—haircuts, massages, shaves, fire cupping, even old-style pedicures—yet its real product is connection. Retired Beijingers, locals, and a motley crew gather here to pass the hours playing Chinese chess, watching cricket fights, or simply sharing space. Old Liu wears many hats at once: manager, fixer of petty squabbles, and a kind of marriage counselor whose advice is offered with a steady, patient tone.