I would not want to waste time here on plots and other comments about the story, which you can find by looking at other posts. What I want to point out here is that the Chinese title is as equally philosophical as the English one:
17 years implies the 17 years of totalitarianism, after which humane side is finally appearing. The Chinese title has the literal translation as Going home on New Years, and it needs more explanation:
In the Chinese tradition, the new year is the time when all family members get together, reflection on the story of the protagonist being released from jail to go home to unite with his parents.
17 years implies the 17 years of totalitarianism, after which humane side is finally appearing. The Chinese title has the literal translation as Going home on New Years, and it needs more explanation:
In the Chinese tradition, the new year is the time when all family members get together, reflection on the story of the protagonist being released from jail to go home to unite with his parents.