This animated short film is composed entirely of etched woodblocks. It speculates on the legacy of the Cultural Revolution, alluding to the historical use of woodblock printing in disseminating ideology. Woodblock printing, which emerged in 7th century China, experienced a revival during the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s and 1970s as a means to quickly communicate information to a mass audience. One of the key proponents in China's modern woodcut movement was Lu Xun, whose philosophy is embedded throughout the film. For instance, Lu Xun's motif of cannibalism to describe the decay of Chinese consciousness is referenced when the protagonist pulls an insect from within his own body and eats it alive.

A simple woodcutter named Wei Fu finds his world shattered when three murderous horsemen arrive to kill his family and kidnap his sister. Left with nothing but his mother’s bell-laden bracelet, he sets out to seek his revenge. Lucky for him, Wei Fu encounters a master swordsman, who takes him under his wing.

Ninja Over the Great Wall takes place in the early nineteen-thirties when China was occupied by the Japanese imperial forces. Wa Chi Keung is a peasant who escaped the mass murder of his village by the Japanese. He joins his master in Bejing shortly before the old man's assassination by ninjas.