▁the ▁ 1 9 4 9 ▁Commun ist ▁Liber ation , ▁to ▁tell ▁a ▁story ▁through ▁images ▁rather ▁than ▁dialog ." ▁Therefore , ▁the ▁film ▁attract ed ▁controvers y ▁in ▁China . ▁Hav is ▁added ▁that ▁the ▁film ▁" was ▁also ▁equ iv ocal ▁about ▁the ▁Commun ist ▁Party ' s ▁ability ▁to ▁help ▁the ▁pe as ants ▁during ▁the ▁Commun ist ▁revolution ", ▁a ▁position ▁which ▁differ ed ▁from ▁that ▁esp oused ▁by ▁the ▁propag anda ▁films ▁that ▁were ▁produced ▁after ▁ 1 9 4 9 ." ▁ ▁Background ▁Y ellow ▁Earth ▁is ▁set ▁in ▁Sh a an xi , ▁a ▁province ▁of ▁central ▁China , ▁in ▁early ▁spring ▁ 1 9 3 9 . ▁The ▁Chinese ▁Commun ist ▁Party ▁and ▁the ▁Ku om int ang ▁have ▁stopped ▁fighting ▁one ▁another ▁and ▁are ▁working ▁together ▁to ▁over wh elm ▁the ▁inv ading ▁Japanese . ▁The ▁provinces ▁are ▁divided ▁into ▁Ku om int ang - control led ▁areas ▁and ▁Commun ist - control led ▁areas . ▁Sh a an xi ▁is ▁divided ▁into ▁three ▁sections : ▁the ▁northern ▁and ▁southern ▁parts ▁are ▁controlled ▁by ▁the ▁Ku om int ang , ▁and ▁the ▁middle ▁by ▁the ▁Commun ists . ▁Because ▁of ▁their ▁co - operation , ▁navigation ▁between ▁the ▁areas ▁is ▁permitted . ▁ ▁Plot ▁Gu ▁Q ing , ▁a ▁soldier ▁from ▁the ▁propag anda ▁department ▁of ▁the ▁C CP ▁E ighth ▁Route ▁Army ▁in ▁C CP - control led ▁Sh a an xi , ▁travel s ▁alone ▁from ▁Yan ' an ▁to ▁the