Hai, a little boy who lives with his mother and grandparents, catches a bird. Duong Lê, a trishaw driver and family friend, is paid by the mysterious Mister Chu to walk a carp through the streets of Saigon and the Mekong rice paddies. Throughout the country, everyone is getting ready to celebrate Trung N'Guyen, Wandering Souls Ceremony. To honor the souls of the forgotten dead, some people will offer flowers, or rice, or will burn incense, while others will free animals. On the night of the celebration, in the light from the paper lanterns, Hai and Duong will take the carp and the bird for a walk one last time.