Starring 17-year-old high school girl Zhou Dongyu and university acting major Dou Xiao, renowned director Zhang Yimou's latest work Under the Hawthorn Tree has gone on general release Wednesday.

The young actor and actress have also performed excellently with incredible naivety and sweetness.

Zhou Dongyu, who plays Jing Qiu, and Dou Xiao, who plays Lao San, are still students and have never performed in a film or TV drama before.