Lisbon, 1898: philandering surgeon Antonio Maria discovers his beloved father is dying of syphilis, scourge of both rich and poor. Determined to find a cure, Antonio sets sail for Peking to study under the renowned Dr. Xu, in the hope that traditional Chinese medicine has the answer that eludes the West. But Xu is evasive, and when Antonio encounters the alluringly independent Fumi, he finds the first love he cannot leave behind.

As he wrestles with his disbelief over “irrational” Chinese views about illness, and helplessly falls into an erotic obsession with Fumi, violence threatens to break out across China. The infamous Boxer rebellion separates the lovers during a siege at the Summer Palace, and Antonio must decide whether to flee-or to stay in China to solve the deep mystery of Fumi's haunted past and discover for himself the Yellow Emperor's cure.