The Last Chieftain tells a story of a Tujia village in the Three Gorges wracked by war Wuniang, a mute girl gifted with exceptional intelligence accidentally encounters Li An, an outsider arrested and punished by the Tujia. The Chieftain of the Tujia people, Qin Yao, promises to marry Wuniang to Li An However, the night before Wuniang becomes his bride, she makes a decision that will change their lives forever...