THE SMALL HOSPITAL, THE GREAT DOCTOR

1. FILM PRODUCTION OVERVIEW

The story is set in Taipei and Shanghai, or another major first-tier Chinese city, as well as Taitung and Alishan. The visual settings offer a rich variety of cinematic beauty: the magnificent modern architecture and urban grandeur of a city such as Shanghai, the captivating scenery and cultural atmosphere of Alishan, and the tranquil, picturesque rural landscapes between the mountains and sea of Taitung. These contrasting locations can create a visually diverse and aesthetically compelling screen experience.

After experiencing relationships with three women, the male protagonist ultimately chooses Lin Xiuling, a woman who is willing to return with him to a simple life. This choice is consistent with his character and values. He is indifferent to fame and material gain and wants only to practice medicine, save lives, and serve society.

Because Shanghai and Alishan are both highly recognizable destinations, each offering distinctive scenery and cultural appeal, the television series could potentially attract a substantial audience across the Greater Chinese-speaking market, particularly in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Since mainland Chinese tourists were permitted to travel to Taiwan, Alishan has been regarded as one of the most popular destinations for visitors from mainland China. It is estimated that more than 20 million mainland Chinese tourists have visited Alishan over the years.

The broadcast of this television series could evoke memories among viewers who have previously traveled to Alishan while also stimulating interest among audiences in Hong Kong and mainland China in visiting Taiwan for tourism.

3. STORY SYNOPSIS

Yang Wenhua, a young man from the Tsou community in Alishan Township, has autism since childhood. During his school years, he has a childhood sweetheart and first love, Xie Cien. Ciens father, Xie Lide, is a Canadian pastor. During Wenhuas second year of high school, Cien suddenly loses consciousness in class. After being taken to the hospital for examination, she is diagnosed with acute leukemia.

During Ciens treatment, Wenhua stays by her side. Her illness changes the direction of Wenhuas life. He had originally planned to apply to an information engineering program, but he decides instead to pursue medicine. After graduating from high school, Xie Lide decides to take Cien back to Canada for treatment. Before leaving Taiwan, Cien makes a ten-year promise with Wenhua. She tells him that if her leukemia is cured, she will return to Taiwan during the Tsou peoples Life Bean Festival in Alishan that year and stay with him.

Lin Xiuling was born in Shanghai and is among the first group of students from China to study in Taiwan. Her father is a successful Taiwanese businessman in Shanghai. Beautiful and elegant, Xiuling is widely regarded as the most attractive woman in her department and has many admirers. However, she is independent and strongly career-oriented. She maintains an equal-distance diplomatic approach toward her admirers, doing her best not to offend anyone. During her seventh year of medical school, when students begin specialized clinical rotations, Xiuling chooses cosmetic medicine, planning to obtain her specialist qualifications in Taiwan and then return to Shanghai to establish her own practice.

Quiet and introverted, Yang Wenhua concentrates almost entirely on his studies during medical school. He performs at the top of his class but is poor at expressing himself and interacting with classmates. His social circle is extremely small, and his classmates jokingly nickname him "Father."

Xiuling happens to encounter Wenhua twice in the library. Wenhua lends her reference books, leaving her with the initial impression that he is an exceptionally studious "oddball."

After graduation, however, Xiuling and Wenhua are assigned to the same medical service team in Alishan Township. Wenhua, now a senior resident in the surgery department at Guanghua Teaching Hospitals Taitung Branch, serves as the teams supervising senior physician.

Through their work together, they begin to know each other better. Xiuling is deeply moved by Wenhuas dedication to surgical medicine and by his commitment to serving disadvantaged people in remote areas. At the Danaiku Suspension Bridge, she takes the initiative and confesses her love to Wenhua. He gently turns her down because he has made a ten-year promise to his first love, Xie Cien. After learning that Cien is suffering from a terminal illness, Xiuling is disappointed but does not give up hope. Wenhua, meanwhile, develops a favorable impression of Xiuling because of her kindness, gentleness, diligence, and eagerness to learn.

As a surgical resident at Guanghua Hospital in Taitung, Wenhua faces enormous professional pressure. He applies what he has learned with discipline and works with sincerity and determination. His performance earns the recognition and trust of Surgery Department Director Shao Qingyang.

By this time, Xiuling has returned to Shanghai and opened a cosmetic medicine clinic. Because of her attractive appearance, she has no shortage of male admirers. Among them, Zhao Xiaodong is particularly impressive. He is handsome, tall, refined, and well-mannered, and he is an attending surgeon in the surgery department of Fudan Hospital in Shanghai. Xiuling places her career first. Although she has not committed herself to Xiaodong, she appreciates his professional abilities as a physician.

Because of Wenhuas outstanding performance, the main hospital assigns him to Shanghai to attend an international medical conference hosted by Fudan Hospital. Xiuling arranges for Wenhua to stay at her villa and personally takes care of his meals and daily needs.

Xiaodong clearly senses that Xiuling is neglecting him and becomes resentful toward Wenhua, whom he regards as a romantic rival.

At the conference, Wenhua presents a surgical paper titled "The Application of Minimally Invasive Surgery in Cosmetic Medicine." Xiaodong deliberately challenges him during the discussion and makes accusations against him. Guo Xinmei, an intern physician and the daughter of Fudan Hospital President Guo Hansheng, becomes dissatisfied with Xiaodongs behavior and stops him. To maintain order, Chairman Guo Hansheng asks both men to leave the conference room.

Xinmei develops considerable admiration and affection for Wenhua because of his knowledge and composure. Fudan Hospital President Guo Hansheng also wants to recruit Wenhua as director of the hospitals cosmetic medicine department. He personally offers Wenhua the position, but Wenhua politely explains that his original purpose is to remain in underserved rural areas and serve the people there.

Although Guo Hansheng is disappointed, he senses that Wenhua is an exceptionally talented young physician who will eventually become a shining star in surgery and cosmetic medicine throughout the Chinese-speaking medical world.

After the conference, Guo Hansheng takes two actions. First, he has a serious conversation with his daughter, Guo Xinmei. Under the pretext of an exchange program with Guanghua Hospital, he arranges for her to follow Wenhua to Taiwan to study minimally invasive surgery and, as much as possible, develop a relationship with him. His goal is to win Wenhua over as his future son-in-law and eventually make him the successor to Fudan Hospital. Xinmei gladly agrees to cooperate with her fathers plan.

Second, Guo Hansheng summons Zhao Xiaodong and reprimands him. After learning that Xiaodongs reckless behavior at the conference was motivated by his pursuit of Lin Xiuling and his jealousy toward Wenhua, Guo Hansheng becomes more understanding and encourages Xiaodong to continue pursuing Xiuling. He privately believes that this will eliminate one powerful competitor for his daughter, Xinmei.

Soon afterward, a female patient named Hu Meimei asks Lin Xiuling to perform breast augmentation surgery. After reviewing the patients X-rays, however, Xiuling suspects that Meimei may have breast cancer. She strongly insists that Meimei first undergo a complete examination at a major hospital and have the cancerous tumor removed before Xiuling will perform cosmetic surgery.

Meimei believes Xiuling is deliberately making things difficult for her and threatens to find another cosmetic clinic.

While the two women remain locked in disagreement, Yang Wenhua arrives to say goodbye to Xiuling. After hearing both sides and understanding what has happened, he helps Xiuling persuade Meimei to undergo the complete course of treatment. He also agrees to postpone his return to Taiwan so that he can teach Xiuling minimally invasive surgical techniques and help resolve the situation.

Hu Meimei goes to the surgery department of Fudan Hospital for examination. She tells the physician on duty that Lin Xiuling has asked her senior fellow student, Yang Wenhua, to perform her surgery. The physician believes that Wenhua does not have a license to practice medicine locally and therefore cannot legally perform surgery on a patient there.

He consults attending physician Zhao Xiaodong. Xiaodong immediately sees an opportunity. After finding out when the operation is scheduled, he reports Yang Wenhua to Director Cao Ming of the Shanghai Medical Inspection Office as an unlicensed doctor.

Cao Ming eagerly seizes the opportunity and leads his team into Lin Xiulings operating room while she is performing Meimeis surgery. However, they do not find Wenhua there. Xiuling angrily rebukes the inspectors, and the group leaves after accomplishing nothing.

After completing the operation, Xiuling returns to her office and tells Wenhua what happened. She says she intends to confront Zhao Xiaodong because he is the only person who has a motive to make such a report.

At a restaurant, Lin Xiuling hosts a farewell dinner for Wenhua. Wanting to thank him, she gives him money that Hu Meimei has provided as an additional payment. Wenhua suggests that she donate the money to charity instead. He also reveals that he has long donated his salary to support medical care in disadvantaged areas of eastern Taiwan.

Wenhuas kindness and commitment deeply impress Xiuling, strengthening her love for him.

Later, Zhao Xiaodong arrives at Xiulings clinic carrying flowers. Xiuling confronts him directly. At first, Xiaodong pretends not to understand, assuming that she is questioning him about his attack on Wenhua during the medical conference.

Xiuling exposes the truth and accuses him of reporting Wenhua to the medical inspection authorities. Ashamed and furious, Xiaodong loses his temper. Xiuling throws him out.

Meanwhile, Guo Xinmei travels alone to Guanghua Hospitals Taitung Branch to study under the quiet and meticulous Yang Wenhua. Wenhua arranges clinical surgeries and personally gives her careful instruction. Xinmei immediately realizes that minimally invasive surgery will eventually become a mainstream treatment in cosmetic medicine.

During a surgical department physicians meeting, attending physician Chen Binghuang takes the opportunity to propose separating plastic surgery from general surgery. Unaware of the real motive behind his proposal, Xinmei supports him, believing that this reflects the trend of modern medicine.

Director Shao Qingyang rejects the proposal on the grounds that the hospital has to consider costs and overall workload. Even if plastic surgery were separated into an independent department, Wenhuas actual workload would not necessarily decrease.

After the meeting, Su Junsheng explains the situation to Xinmei. She finally realizes that Director Shao already understands that Chen Binghuang, who is naturally lazy, would be unable to handle the responsibility. Shao therefore plans to have Yang Wenhua become the department director before his own retirement and lead the surgical team.

Xinmei narrowly avoids being used by Director Chen.

On the eve of Yang Wenhuas birthday, Su Junsheng and Guo Xinmei make plans to celebrate his birthday. Each prepares a gift, and they buy a cake and champagne.

But no matter how carefully people plan, circumstances can change everything.

On the night of the celebration, the emergency department informs Yang Wenhua that a severely injured traffic-accident victim urgently needs surgery. Xinmei gets on Wenhuas motorcycle, and the two rush to the emergency department.

The patients consciousness is gradually fading. The physician on duty suspects severe internal bleeding and tells Wenhua that if he is not confident about performing the operation, the patient should be transferred to a nearby Christian hospital.

Wenhua examines the patient and determines that internal organs have ruptured and are bleeding. If surgery is not performed immediately, the patients life will be difficult to save.

The patient is rushed into the operating room. Wenhua, Xinmei, and Junsheng, who arrives shortly afterward, work together to complete the race-against-time surgery.

By the time they leave the hospital, it is already late at night. The three return to the lounge and finally celebrate Wenhuas birthday together.

After the conference, Wenhua sits in the courtyard enjoying the cool evening air and looking at the stars. Xinmei comes over and keeps him company as they talk. Xinmei believes that with Wenhua’s outstanding surgical skills, he should go to a major city like Shanghai and establish a specialized cosmetic surgery hospital. Wenhua tells her that fame and wealth have never been the reasons he chose to study medicine. What he wants is to provide better medical care in the places where people need him most and save the lives of the poor. That gives him a greater sense of achievement and belonging than taking large amounts of money from wealthy people’s pockets.

In a tentative tone, Guo Xinmei expresses her feelings of admiration and affection for Yang Wenhua, but Wenhua gently turns her down, explaining that he has a promise with his first love. Xinmei knows there is no way to persuade Wenhua to go to Shanghai. She feels sorry that he is willing to give up such opportunities, but she also admires his selfless spirit and his willingness to live a simple life.

When the six-month medical exchange program comes to an end, Yang Wenhua and Su Junsheng see Guo Xinmei off. Xinmei asks to hug Wenhua and takes the opportunity to whisper to him that she will be waiting for him in Shanghai.

Zhao Xiaodong repeatedly shows up at Lin Xiuling’s clinic with flowers, standing around and interfering with her work. With the Tsou people’s Life Bean Festival in Alishan approaching in November, Xiuling begins to consider closing her clinic.

After a long inner struggle between hope and fear of disappointment, Lin Xiuling decides to make a wager with fate. If Yang Wenhua’s first love does not appear at the festival, perhaps Wenhua will accept her.

Xiuling packs her luggage, leaves Shanghai, and travels to Alishan. She appears at the Life Bean Festival, where Yang Wenying happens to spot her. Wenying approaches and recognizes Xiuling.

At this time, Yang Wenhua has resigned from his position at Guanghua Hospital in Taitung and returned to the festival grounds, waiting for Xie Cien to appear. What he receives instead is an urn brought by Cien’s mother.

After ten years, the promise ends in such a tragic way. Wenhua falls to his knees in tears, unable for a moment to accept the reality before him.

Seeing this, Lin Xiuling immediately goes to comfort him. She quietly walks beside the stunned Wenhua and accompanies him back to the Yang family home.

Yang Wenhua’s mother, Su Yuzhen, and Yang Wenqing see that Wenhua is holding Xie Cien’s ashes, with Lin Xiuling and Wenying following behind him. For a moment, they cannot understand what has happened. After Wenying explains the situation, everyone decides to wait until Wenhua has calmed down.

Lin Xiuling’s deep love and unwavering devotion gradually pull Yang Wenhua out of the shadow of Xie Cien. Wenhua realizes that Xiuling is willing to give up her career in Shanghai and return to Taiwan to devote herself with him to providing medical care in underserved rural areas. She is the person he wants as his life partner from this point forward.

With the Yang family there to witness their love, the two people who have finally found each other are about to be married.