Khue, a Buddhist monk, the clown Phong and the young prostitute Thuy reflect on their personal experiences during three different decades of Vietnamese history. French colonialism, the Vietnam war and the current effects of globalization create an image of a Hanoi teetering between the influences of modern, Western ideas and traditional Asian values. The protagonists' fragmented memories draw a picture of Vietnamese day to day life but also deal with the social changes of the past 70 years.