This is a story located in a small town in Taiwan during the 50's and 60's. Mei-Hsia is from the most prominent family in town. Yun-Lang works in the local peasant assocation. They like each other, but Mei-Hsia is afraid to tell her mother about their seeing each other. They wait till Yun-Lang sends a matchmaker to Mei-Hsia's family. There was no way that Mei-Hsia's family would agree to their marriage. Mei-Hsia's parents send her to a relative in the northeast of Keelung, in an attempt to stop them from seeing each other, but Yun-Lang follows her there. Mei-Hsia's relative doesn't stop them until Mei-Hsia's mother finds out. Now their love is an open affair. This time, it's the Mei-Hsias turn to propose a marriage between the two families. To everyone's surprise, the Yun-Langs turn it down. Mei-Hsia and Yun-Lang planned to elope, but they failed. She kills herself. At last, Yun-Lang can call Mei-Hsia his wife by marring her memorial tablet.

Teenagers Jielong and Tangmi secretly love each other, but Tangmi vanishes after they spend a night out together. Jielong has to turn back to focus on his studies and enter university. Unexpectedly, Tangmi resurfaces with a newborn baby.

侯孝贤与朱天文近来讨论的两个剧本，一个是可望先开拍的《舒兰河上》，另一个则是改编自作家郭强生的散文《我将前往的远方》，讲述人生下半场的父亲关係、长照议题等，朱天文透露张震觉得故事太残酷，需要等他回去消化。

刘香妹(张艾嘉饰)在杂志社工作，她与一位叫亨利王的同事认识，并有了一个孩子，但亨利是有家室的人，无奈，刘香妹只好离开杂志社，离开了亨利王，为了不使孩子无名无姓，她需要找一个男人与其假结婚，给孩子一个姓，然后随即离婚。经一个朋友介绍，她认识了近三十岁的光棍毕宝亮(李宗盛饰 )，毕宝亮算命三十岁以前不能碰女人，他拒绝了香妹的提议，但经过一段时间的接触，他对香妹有了好感，答应了婚事，这一天香妹打电话回来，却要他与她一起回家见爸妈…

摯友阿堯因愛滋病發來日無多。小韶四十歲，飛抵東京在病院裡見到阿堯，和他一起度過他生命的最後五天，也翻開了回憶....

刚刚凭借武侠片《聂隐娘》获得戛纳电影节最佳导演奖的侯孝贤导演来到比利时布鲁塞尔，参加由比利时皇家电影资料馆举办的台湾电影回顾展。 据台湾媒体报道，侯孝贤和他的长期合作伙伴朱天文，已经为他们的下一部电影做好了准备，主演仍是扮演聂隐娘的舒淇，他们之前还合作过《千禧曼波》和《最好的时光》。 侯孝贤在座谈会中透露，下部电影想回到现代。他说，现在的台北跟以前很不一样。台北过去因为稻田灌溉的需要，有很多河道，后来随着时代变迁，河道变成了道路，但台北仍有很多路名，其实原先都是河道的名字。他说，河道还在，但因为被盖了起来，成了下水道，但仍在流动。想想若是河道里面有神，会感到多么的悲哀。至于这个年轻女河神，侯孝贤仍要启用他心中的第一女主角舒淇。 作家朱天文补充说，故事的架构谈的是一个研究水圳的宅男，在了解台北水圳的过程中，和年轻女河神相遇相知的故事，不过脚本还在讨论中。问侯孝贤会不会找张震演宅男，他笑说，他不是宅男，这角色不适合他。

1983 film by Chen Kunhou

A coming-of-age story about a young brother and sister whom spend a pivotal summer in the country with their grandparents.

1987 film by Hou Hsiao-Hsien

2004 film by Hou Hsiao-Hsien

1995 film by Hou Hsiao-Hsien

1998 film by Hou Hsiao-Hsien

1983 film by Hou Hsiao-Hsien

Master puppeteer Li Tien-lu recalls his life in Japanese-occupied Taiwan during the first half of the 20th century.

2001 film by Hou Hsiao-Hsien

1996 film by Hou Hsiao-Hsien

1985 film directed by Edward Yang

1986 film by Hou Hsiao-Hsien