As the River Goes By (2026): Cast, Story and Release Details

Prepared by Movies Dock Editorial

As the River Goes By follows Xiao Li after an earthquake aftershock creates a link between his present and childhood. A class reunion, an old crush and the mystery of his father’s disappearance bring back memories tied to a long-ago hide-and-seek accident, leading him toward an unsettling personal truth.

As the River Goes By is a 2026 Chinese drama-fantasy written and directed by Hu Zhaoxiang. Its story centers on Xiao Li, whose adult life is disrupted when an unusual connection reaches back into his childhood.

The film combines a class reunion with mysteries surrounding a vanished father, a forgotten accident and memories that refuse to remain in the past. Dylan Xiong and Eva Zhao lead the cast, with a runtime of 1 hour and 39 minutes.

As the River Goes By movie details

Story without spoilers

Twelve years after an earthquake, an aftershock creates a time-space connection between the young Xiao Li and his childhood. The phenomenon becomes personally significant when Xiao Li attends a class reunion and encounters Song Qian, a girl who once had feelings for him.

That meeting gradually brings back questions about his father’s disappearance and an accident connected to a childhood game of hide-and-seek. As Xiao Li follows these fragments of memory, the river becomes associated with his effort to confront what has been lost, forgotten or obscured by the present.

What to expect

The supplied premise points to a reflective blend of family mystery, memory and speculative fantasy. The film is built around Xiao Li’s attempt to reconnect with his childhood and understand events that shaped him, while the class reunion provides a bridge between his adult present and earlier life.

Its drama elements suggest an emphasis on personal history and emotional reckoning, while the time-space connection gives the story a supernatural or speculative dimension. The premise supports expectations of a mystery-driven narrative, but it does not disclose how the central questions are resolved.

Cast and creative team

The cast includes Dylan Xiong, Eva Zhao, Mardy Ma, Xie Yuwang, Hongyu Jiang, Zheng Haosen and Zhang Chen. No character assignments are provided for the listed performers. Hu Zhaoxiang is both the director and writer of As the River Goes By.

• Dylan Xiong
• Eva Zhao
• Mardy Ma
• Xie Yuwang
• Hongyu Jiang
• Zheng Haosen
• Zhang Chen

Release and production context

As the River Goes By is a 2026 production from China, with Mandarin as its spoken language. It has a listed release date of September 23, 2026, and a runtime of 1 hour and 39 minutes. The film is categorized as Drama and Fantasy. It is listed with a released status, and no production companies are supplied.

Movies Dock view

With its combination of childhood memory, family mystery and a time-space connection, As the River Goes By presents a contained fantasy drama focused on Xiao Li’s search for answers. Viewers interested in stories where the past intrudes on the present will find the film’s premise centered on that unresolved tension.

Film data:
TMDB · IMDb