After a small aircraft makes an emergency landing in a secluded region of Central China, a few passengers manage to survive, among them a Chinese child and his American caretaker. While they await rescue, they come across the enigmatic Yeren—an elusive ape-like being said to have lived in the Shennongjia mountains for hundreds of years. When merciless hunters appear with the intent to capture the Yeren, the survivors are faced with the dilemma of determining whether this extraordinary creature is an ally or an adversary.