What Is The Breaking Ice About?
The premise of The Breaking Ice in 355 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In the frigid border city of Yanji, where the cold seems to seep into every corner of life, the landscape itself reflects a profound sense of isolation. Haofeng, a restless young man from Shanghai, arrives in this stark northern region to attend a wedding, though he feels entirely disconnected from the festivities. He carries a quiet unease, seemingly adrift in a world that feels foreign to him. As he navigates the city, ignoring persistent phone calls from a hospital back home, he stands on the precipice of his own uncertainties, watching the icy streets with a detachment that suggests he is searching for something he cannot name.
His drifting leads him to cross paths with Nana, a vibrant tour guide who captures his interest despite her own dissatisfaction with the monotony of her job. Through her, he is introduced to Xiao, a charming restaurant worker struggling with his own circumstances in the wake of the pandemic. The three form an unlikely trio, drawn together by a shared sense of limbo and a desire for connection. Their dynamic creates a temporary shelter from the cold, a space where their different worlds—Haofeng’s wealthy urban life and Nana and Xiao’s local realities—intersect and ignite.
Set against a backdrop of harsh, snowy terrain, the film weaves a story of yearning and the search for belonging. As the group navigates the emotional distances between them, they find themselves drawn toward the promise of the Changbai Mountains and the legendary Heaven Lake. The journey becomes a metaphor for their internal states, offering a glimmer of hope and a destination for their restless energy. The narrative captures a specific mood of youthful disenchantment, exploring how fleeting connections can leave permanent marks.
Through quiet moments and shared silences, the movie builds an atmosphere of introspection and subtle tension. It is a story that prioritizes character dynamics and mood, inviting the audience to sit with the characters as they confront their personal ghosts. The frigid environment serves as more than just a setting; it mirrors the emotional states of the protagonists, creating a poignant backdrop for a tale about finding warmth in unexpected places.
What Happens in The Breaking Ice?
The complete story of The Breaking Ice, from the first scene to the last, in 890 words (about 4 minutes). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 2 cast member pages.
Spoilers ahead
Li Haofeng, Haoran Liu, a quiet young financier from Shanghai, travels to Yanji, a cold border city in northern China near North Korea, for a friend’s wedding. The scene at the celebration has old friends joking about his expensive watch, yet he keeps his reactions subdued, drifting through the moment with an even-keeled calm. When a hospital calls about a missed psychiatric appointment, he insists they have the wrong number, choosing silence over any excuse. On the balcony, as he contemplates the world from the edge, a tour bus glides into view and a subtle shift begins: he will join a local tour group, stepping into a different kind of daily rhythm.
There, he meets Nana, Dongyu Zhou, a tour guide who carries a restlessness with her job. Nana’s friend Xiao, a local cook, asks her out to dinner, and the trio’s dynamic starts to bloom in a curious mix of practicality and longing. Nana, in particular, seems drawn to Haofeng’s refined, cosmopolitan life in Shanghai, a life that has also felt the weight of the pandemic on both of their occupations. As the evening unfolds with drinks and shared stories, Nana and Xiao coax Haofeng toward a lighter moment: a dance that unlocks a vulnerability he does not usually reveal. The mood is intimate but measured, a quiet curiosity growing between them as the conversation loops between humor, longing, and a few unspoken questions.
The next day disrupts the calm: Haofeng misses his flight home, and the three of them decide to extend their time away with a countryside ride. Nana returns home late, and the night ends with an unplanned moment of closeness between her and Haofeng. The morning brings a tense discovery—Nana bears a small scar on her ankle, a detail that makes her uneasy and hints at a past she does not fully reveal. Xiao’s younger cousin teases Xiao about his relationship with Nana, a moment of teasing that is brushed aside by Xiao, who tells the younger relative to study hard and not follow a reckless path. Xiao then arrives at Nana’s home to regroup and offers to show Haofeng around again. The trio wanders through a bookstore, where Haofeng is drawn to depictions of the Changbai Mountains and Heaven Lake, while Nana lingers on a book about figure skating. Later, in a nightclub, Haofeng remains in his seat while Nana and Xiao step onto the dance floor; he breaks down and cries in private, a moment of emotional release that underscores the complexity of their connections. As the night ends, they drunkenly plot a future visit to Heaven Lake, a promise that does not fully resolve the tension between them.
Nana’s long-lost friend appears unexpectedly, shedding light on a past Nana had left behind. It becomes clear that Nana once shone as a gifted figure skater, a past she seems to have buried beneath the weight of distance and silence. The friend presses Nana about her sudden withdrawal from friends, including their coach who died and Nana’s mother, a reminder of the familial and emotional costs tied to her choices. In parallel, Xiao drives Haofeng back to the hotel, and Haofeng asks Xiao to stay with him because he does not want to face the night alone. Eventually he falls asleep, the weight of the day dissolving into quiet respite.
On the way toward the Changbai Mountains, Haofeng shares a local legend about a bear that becomes human, a story that underscores themes of transformation and longing in the journey ahead. Over dinner, Xiao, in a rare moment of candor, mentions a wanted criminal who is worth more money than he has ever seen. A suspicious figure lingers outside the restaurant, but Xiao remains passive, choosing not to engage. The trio then embarks on a long, snowy hike toward Heaven Lake, only to be halted by a ranger’s warning: the fog is too dense to safely see the site, and they should turn back. Standing at the edge of a cliff, Haofeng almost steps forward, but a timely bear sighting interrupts the moment and the group retreats. The bear sniffs Nana before eventually moving on, a brief, eerie interlude that lingers in the memory of the travelers. They return to their routine, drinking again to offset the moment’s tension.
Back at Nana’s home, Xiao wakes to find Haofeng and Nana asleep together, a tableau that compresses unresolved feelings into a single, quiet scene. When Xiao prepares to leave, Nana hugs him, preserving a thread of closeness while acknowledging the distance that remains. Haofeng leaves his watch behind and returns to Shanghai, stepping away from the trip’s tangled emotions. Xiao says goodbye to his cousin, then makes a late, reckless choice—attempting to crash into an oncoming truck, only to veer away at the last second with a small, defiant smile. Nana phones her family, telling them she will come home for Chinese New Year, and she retrieves her old skates, a symbol of a past identity that she may be ready to revisit, or perhaps simply to hold onto as a memory of who she once was. The journey closes on a note of quiet ambiguity, a moment of reflection about the paths chosen and those left behind, and the way time can fold longing, memory, and the possibility of change into one’s ongoing story.
The Breaking Ice Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
14 key events in the order they happen, from “Arrival in Yanji for a friend's wedding” to “Bear legend and the fogged ascent”. 14 events name a place, across 6 locations.
- 1
Arrival in Yanji for a friend's wedding
Haofeng travels from Shanghai to Yanji to attend a friend's wedding. Yanji is a cold border city near North Korea, which sets a stark backdrop for his quiet presence. At the wedding, his old friends joke about his expensive watch, but he makes no big deal about its price.
When:Wedding day Where:Yanji
- 2
Hospital calls and quiet denial
During the wedding weekend, he begins receiving phone calls from a hospital about a missed psychiatric appointment. He insists they have the wrong number and brushes it off, hinting at a deeper tension behind his calm exterior. The calls introduce a sense of unease that threads through the day.
When:Wedding weekend Where:Yanji
- 3
Balcony moment and the tour bus
While standing on a balcony, he notices a tour bus arriving in Yanji. The sight foreshadows an upcoming encounter that will pull him into a local tour group. He watches the bus with a mix of curiosity and detachment.
When:Evening Where:Yanji
- 4
First meeting with Nana
Haofeng joins a local tour group and meets Nana, a tour guide who is dissatisfied with her job. Nana's sharp, skeptical attitude contrasts with Haofeng's reserved calm. The meeting plants the first thread of a connection between them.
When:First tour day Where:Yanji
- 5
Love tension and a denial
Nana asks if Haofeng plans to confess his feelings for her, which he awkwardly denies. The exchange reveals his reluctance to open up emotionally. The moment sets a thread of tension that runs through the evening.
When:Evening after first meeting Where:Yanji
- 6
Phone loss and dinner invitation
Haofeng loses his cell phone, and Nana decides to help locate it. To repay her help, she invites him to dinner with her friend Xiao. The invitation marks the formation of a fragile trio that will navigate desire and disappointment.
When:Dinner night Where:Yanji
- 7
Wealth and pandemic reflections
Over drinks, Nana and Xiao are drawn to Haofeng's wealth and the idea of a life in finance during Shanghai. They bond over shared disappointments caused by the pandemic. After some encouragement, Nana and Xiao coax Haofeng to dance.
When:Night Where:Yanji
- 8
Missed flight and countryside ride
The next day, Haofeng misses his flight home, so they decide to ride into the countryside together. The outing intensifies their bond and makes the prospect of a future trip more tangible. The mood blends loneliness, longing, and a growing sense of dependency.
When:Next day Where:Countryside near Yanji
- 9
Intimate night and ankle scar
After returning home drunk, Nana and Haofeng sleep together. In the morning, Haofeng notices a scar on Nana's ankle that makes her uncomfortable, a sign of hidden histories between them. The moment complicates their fragile intimacy.
When:That night Where:Nana's home
- 10
Morning teasing and awkward renewal
Morning shows Xiao's younger cousin teasing him about his relationship with Nana, which Xiao brushes off. Xiao then returns to Nana's home and awkwardly meets Haofeng, offering to show him around again. The encounter reasserts the trio's unstable dynamic.
When:Morning after Where:Nana's home
Show the other 4 events of The Breaking Ice Hide the last 4 events
- 11
Bookstore discoveries
They visit a bookstore where Haofeng is drawn to depictions of the Changbai Mountains and Heaven Lake, while Nana lingers on a book about figure skating. The pair's different fascinations hint at their pasts and future possibilities. The setting frames the impending journey with memory and longing.
When:Daytime Where:Bookstore in Yanji
- 12
Nightclub cries and Heaven Lake plan
At a nightclub, Haofeng tells Nana and Xiao to go dance while he remains in his seat and cries. Xiao attempts to kiss Nana while dancing but fails. The drunken trio then reluctantly plans a trip to Heaven Lake.
When:Night Where:Nightclub, Yanji
- 13
Nana's past surfaces
Nana's long-lost friend visits unexpectedly and reveals that Nana used to be a talented figure skater, while confronting her about losing touch with their coach, mother, and others. Nana's past resurfaces and explains some of her current distance. The moment adds emotional weight to her choices.
When:Soon after nightclub Where:Nana's home
- 14
Bear legend and the fogged ascent
On the road to the Changbai Mountains, Haofeng recounts a local legend about a bear that became human. The hike to Heaven Lake is long and snowy, but fog obscures the view and a bear appears near a cliff, sniffing Nana before leaving. The group returns, soberly aware of the danger and their weathered spirits.
When:Daytime during hike Where:Changbai Mountains, Heaven Lake area
Who Are the Main Characters in The Breaking Ice?
5 characters, among them Li Haofeng (Haoran Liu), Nana (Dongyu Zhou) and Han Xiao (Chuxiao Qu): who each one is and the part they play in the story. Every profile links to the actor’s page.
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Li Haofeng (Haoran Liu)
Played by Haoran Liu
A quiet, wealthy finance worker from Shanghai who carries the burden of social expectations and a mysterious detachment. He navigates the trip with a blend of restraint and vulnerability, gradually opening up to Nana and Xiao while still protecting a solitary inner life.
- 🎭 Drama
- 🧭 Identity
- 💼 Wealth
- ❄️ Cold demeanor
-
Nana (Dongyu Zhou)
Played by Dongyu Zhou
A tour guide in Yanji who is discontent with her job and haunted by her past as a figure skater. She masks vulnerability with flirtation and humor, yet seeks genuine connection and meaning beyond the surface.
- 🎭 Drama
- 🧊 Memory
- 💃 Reclaiming identity
- HX
Han Xiao (Chuxiao Qu)
Played by Chuxiao Qu
Nana's friend and cousin who drives the narrative with humor and an uneasy sense of aspiration. He is imperfect, flirtatious, and sometimes reckless, offering a counterbalance to Haofeng's restraint.
- 🎭 Drama
- 🛤️ Journey
- 💡 Ambition
- F(
Fugitive (Ruguang Wei)
Played by Ruguang Wei
A mysterious figure referenced as a wanted criminal who seems to hover on the edges of the trip's tensions. His presence adds a shadowy undercurrent of danger and the moral ambiguity of the characters' actions.
- 🕵️ Mystery
- 🗝️ Danger
- 🧩 Ambiguity
- NT
Nana's Teammate (Baisha Liu)
Played by Baisha Liu
A companion from Nana's world who appears as a friend in the social circle. Their presence hints at the wider network of people connected to Nana and the weight of past relationships.
- 🎭 Drama
- 👥 Relationships
- 🧊 Memory
Where and When Is The Breaking Ice Set?
The Breaking Ice is set in Yanji, Shanghai, Changbai Mountains and Heaven Lake (Early 2020s). Here is why the time and place matter to the story.
When
Early 2020s
The events occur in a contemporary setting, during a period influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic's aftermath. The characters' careers and plans— Haofeng in finance, Nana and Xiao in local service roles—reflect a world still adjusting to disruption and uncertainty. Travel between cities and a planned trip to Heaven Lake occur in a winter landscape, underscoring a sense of waiting and potential change. The timing reinforces themes of memory and choices in a time of lingering social tension.
Where
Yanji, Shanghai, Changbai Mountains, Heaven Lake
The film unfolds in Yanji, a cold border city in northern China near North Korea, where a wedding sets the story in motion. The journey also takes the main characters to Shanghai, Haofeng's home city, and to the snowy Changbai Mountains toward Heaven Lake, a stark, wind-swept landscape that mirrors their emotional weather. The settings juxtapose urban finance life with rural, wintry travel, highlighting isolation and the pull of human connection. The snowy countryside and dimly lit indoor spaces create a quiet mood that frames the fragile relationships at the center of the film.
- ❄️ Yanji
- 🧭 Border city
- 🗻 Changbai Mountains region
- 🧊 Heaven Lake area
What Are the Themes of The Breaking Ice?
3 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Loneliness, Memory & Identity and Escape & Connection.
-
01
Loneliness
Haofeng's quiet, restrained presence and Nana's restless dissatisfaction create an atmosphere of emotional distance despite proximity. The group dynamics reveal how wealth, memory, and fear keep people at arm's length. Snowy settings and late-night conversations act as mirrors for inner isolation, shaping choices more than words do. The film suggests that intimacy arrives in small, fragile moments rather than grand gestures.
-
02
Memory & Identity
Nana's past as a talented figure skater haunts her present self, hinting at a forgotten or neglected identity. The revelation of Nana's history and her mother's absence pressures her to reassemble who she is. The coach's death and Nana's disconnection from friends add layers to personal memory and self-worth. The bear legend Haofeng shares along the journey frames identity as something that can blur with myth and memory.
-
03
Escape & Connection
The trip to Heaven Lake and the nighttime dances become an attempt to escape ordinary routines and seek real human connection. Yet the group remains cautious, revealing how fear and longing influence decisions. The closeness that forms—culminating in shared sleep—is tentative, suggesting relationships can survive dangerous or destabilizing circumstances. The ending hints at a new direction rather than a complete resolution.
What Kind of Film Is The Breaking Ice?
Melancholic in tone, with slow pacing and a moderate story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Melancholic
- Pacing
- Slow
- Story
- Moderate
- Intensity
- Medium
- Ending
- Bittersweet
A melancholic and atmospheric drama about three restless souls finding temporary connection in a cold border town, filled with yearning and quiet emotional weight.
- melancholic
- restless
- lonely
- intimate
- reflective
- cold
- search for belonging
- emotional connection
- unfulfilled dreams
- mental health
Content notes: suicidal ideation, mental health crisis, sexual content.
Quiz
How well do you remember The Breaking Ice? Test yourself on the story.
