hometown return

His films intimately explore memory, displacement, and the emotional weight of returning to one's roots across Taiwanese landscapes and history.

He masterfully examines family reunions and homecomings in works like 'Like Father, Like Son' and 'Shoplifters,' revealing how physical return home unveils emotional truths.

His socially conscious films frequently depict characters returning to their working-class communities, exploring belonging, economic struggle, and changed relationships with home.