National Customs

In 1930, two sisters from the countryside, the serious Zhang Lan and the frivolous Zhang Tao graduate from secondary school where their mother Zhang Jie serves as principal. They both love their cousin Zuo, but have ambitions other than marriage. Their lives change dramatically when both attend university in Shanghai and encounter modern urban life and rapidly changing society. The film also depicts the emergence of Chiang Kai-shek's 1934 New Life Movement. Lianhua Film Studio did the film to appease the Nationalist Party which accused it of primarily presenting left-wing films, which was true.

Directed by Ming-Yau Lo, Zhu Shilin, National Customs leans on a strong ensemble — Cho-cho Lam, Li Lili, Peng Luo — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 1935.