The Introduction frames the book’s research within the local histories and sociopolitical dynamics of the Chinese–Russian border region, which have fostered the creation and popularisation of the ‘Russian brides’ village myth in Northeast China. It explores how Chinese–Russian marriages have come to symbolise an idealised form of transnational union in Chinese media narratives. This chapter also outlines the book’s theoretical and methodological approaches, introducing the concepts of hyperreality and intimate and embodied geopolitics. It provides a roadmap for its central arguments, guiding the reader through its interdisciplinary analysis.

This chapter examines the visual narratives through which China’s ‘China Dream’ of global rise idealises a particular type of international marriage: a union between a Chinese man and a white woman who is transformed into an obedient daughter-in-law absorbed into Chinese patriarchal structures. Analysing three Chinese TV dramas and a fiction film that highlight pivotal moments in Chinese–Russian relations across three decades of reform (1990–2010s), the chapter explores how these cultural products construct a consistent portrayal of the white woman – strong, intelligent, beautiful and independent – who ultimately submits to Confucian patriarchal values under the guidance of a Chinese man. By connecting televised portrayals of Chinese–Russian romance with broader political and public discourses on China’s foreign relations, this chapter uncovers the role of cinematic geopolitics in creating a hyperreality that bridges fantasy and the everyday.

The final chapter ends the book with a discussion about when do images still matter despite their abundance and why images have an ambivalent relationship with reality. Can we distinguish between images that reflect reality, manipulate reality, or help us imagine an alternative reality? Can we talk of a ‘good’ image, a powerful one that lives on, and invites dialogue? Can we talk of a ‘just’ image? We want images that do us justice, whether it is for our personal memories or grieving, or for our collective identity and society.