Shou Niang

Set against the deeply patriarchal backdrop of Qing dynasty Taiwan, Shou Niang follows Chieh, a young woman suffocating under relentless societal expectations. In this era, women are valued solely for advantageous marriages and their ability to bear sons, driving many to desperate folk superstitions. Watching her sister-in-law succumb to such obsessions while facing mounting pressure to wed, Chieh yearns for liberation. Her life shifts when she discovers a woman’s body by the river, prompting the arrival of an enigmatic priestess summoned to guide the restless spirit. Seeing a path to independence in the priestess's mysterious connection to the spiritual realm, Chieh becomes her apprentice. Yet freedom comes at a terrifying cost. Soon after beginning her training, Chieh wakes to find small handprints bruising her legs, appearing as if left during sleep. Simultaneously, local women begin vanishing or turning up dead. Blending historical critique with folklore and religious mysticism, the story chronicles an independent young woman navigating the beauty and tragedy of female existence in a provincial city. As danger closes in, Chieh must confront dark supernatural forces to determine whether she can truly forge the life she desires.