Scenes featuring protagonists in five stand-alone stories of the film, one played by Deng Chao. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Tickling the funny bones of many audience members and stirring up a fair amount homesickness among viewers, the movie has accumulated popularity online, exemplified by a score of 9.3 points out of 10 on Maoyan and 9.2 points on Taopiaopiao, two of the country's largest ticketing platforms. But some viewers criticize the film as just being a hodgepodge of comedy sketches, making it－as they believe－unqualified as an authentic production for the silver screen.

Hu Zhifeng, vice-president of Beijing Film Academy, says the film－coupled with the similar blockbuster My People, My Country－has demonstrated the potential for anthology films to form a new genre tailored for a holiday market.

"Theatergoing has turned into a ceremonial activity for some Chinese people during holidays," Hu explains. "The film skillfully caters to Chinese people's collective patriotic pride during the festival, evoking their memories about familiar hometown elements, such as landscapes, dialects and local customs. Its success indicates that such a genre can continue to be explored."