In late 20th century Northeast China, ordinary worker Li Mingqi (Jiang Qiming) inherits his late father’s obsession with flight. When his homemade flying machine crashes, the accident leaves his brother-in-law disabled. As the region undergoes sweeping economic reforms, the old world Li knew begins to shift and with it, a chance to rebuild. Li Mingqi and his wife (Li Xueqin) open a dance hall in an abandoned factory museum, where they use a hot air balloon as a spectacle to attract foreign customers. But as his nephew falls critically ill, Li is forced back to the invention that destroyed his family once before. He must choose: accept the ground beneath his feet, or risk one final flight.