Whereas Ning's previous film, For Fun dealt with the older generation, On the Beat is firmly focused on the story of the middle-aged.

Released in 1995, On the Beat made the rounds of most of the major international film festivals, including Toronto, Telluride and San Sebastián, among others.

Instead, they spend time (and manpower) on small incidents like the chasing of a possibly rabid dog, the arrest of a small-time con artist, and the reprimanding of a man who sells posters of a woman in a bathing suit.

[1] While essentially an ensemble piece, the film generally revolves around the character of Yang Guoli (杨国立), played by police officer Li Zhanhe (李占河).

On the Beat was well received by western critics and further cemented Ning Ying's reputation as a major talent to emerge from China in the early to mid-1990s.