The study consolidates a historical and cinematographic analysis combined with field reports. The research investigates the contexts that preceded the establishment of the People's Republic of China, focusing on how the social dynamics of that period were expressed and influenced by cinema.

The ethnographic scope is based on an extensive immersion in the country, traveling over 1,000 km. The route included locations such as Shanghai, Changzhou, Suzhou, Hangzhou, and the Wudang Mountains (Shiyan), ensuring direct contact and coexistence with local practices, spaces, and priests.