At the turn of the century, ancient China is experiencing unprecedented changes. The aging Qing Dynasty is on the verge of collapse, and the blood of the six gentlemen cannot stop the wheel of history from rolling. The sky over the old Beijing city is changing and treacherous. Wang Lifa (played by Shi Yizhi) is the young shopkeeper of Yutai Teahouse in Beijing. He remembers his father's teachings and welcomes guests from all directions with dignity and consideration. In the small teahouse, all kinds of people come and go: Mr. Song (Huang Zongluo), who carries a bird cage and laments his fate; Mr. Chang (Zheng Rong), a resolute Manchu, laments the impending demise of his country; Qin Zhongyi (Lan Tianye), who is bent on saving the country through industry; Liu Mazi (Ying Ruocheng), who is unscrupulous in trafficking in human beings; eunuch Pang (Tong Chao), who is planning to marry a wife... One after another, the small teahouse performs the vicissitudes and desolation of the world... This film is adapted from Lao She's original novel of the same name, and won the Special Award at the 3rd China Film Golden Rooster Awards in 1983 and the Special Award for Outstanding Film from the Ministry of Culture in 1982.