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Asian cinema: Chinese films

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Asian cinema: Chinese films
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Asian cinema: Chinese films. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
last updated:
9 September, 2024
HIGHLIGHTS FROM
Plaques that form part of the Benin Bronzes, which were taken from Africa by British troops in 1897, on display at The British Museum in London. Photo: Getty Images

Should museums return antiquities to their countries of origin? Some say no

New fronts have opened up in the war of cultural restitution, raising complex ethical and legal questions as some argue against museums returning foreign artefacts.

Reading Time:11 minutes
Explore Hong Kong’s wellness revolution in 2025, from pickleball to run clubs and retreats. Photo: Jocelyn Tam

This week in PostMag: Hong Kong’s wellness trends for 2025

Reading Time:2 minutes
A barista pours a freshly made coffee. Photo: Shutterstock

That morning coffee is doing wonders for your health, says new study

Reading Time:2 minutes
Running clubs, such as the She Runs Collective, are putting people through their paces all over Hong Kong. Photo: She Runs Collective

Run clubs have arrived in Hong Kong to combine exercise and community

Reading Time:5 minutes
The Beatles with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, in Rishikesh, India, in 1968. Photo: Getty Images

How Transcendental Meditation transformed my life, as it did for The Beatles

Reading Time:7 minutes
MORE IN POSTMAG
Content from SCMP's Specialist Publications
Lam Ching-ying and Sammo Hung in a still from Painted Faces. Photo: Celestial Pictures
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Sammo Hung plays his and Jackie Chan’s schoolmaster in Painted Faces

1988 Hong Kong film follows Yu Jim-yuen, the master of the Peking opera school in Kowloon whose pupils included Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Remember What I Forgot: nostalgic tale of a Hong Kong cinema geek

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Asian cinema: Korean films

Exhuma, Twilight of the Warriors lead Asian Film Awards nominations

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Burning Blood: stars of Young and Dangerous back for awful police thriller

Jerry Lamb, Jason Chu, Jordan Chan and Michael Tse reunite in Wilson Chin’s posthumous final film that is just as bad as his others.

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Michael Tse in a still from Burning Blood (category IIB, Cantonese), directed by Wilson Chin. Jordan Chan and Michael Tse co-star.
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

4 notable Monkey King adaptations in Hong Kong cinema. One stars Donnie Yen

We recall Journey to the West film adaptations, from Stephen Chow’s turn in the title role to one in which Donnie Yen plays the Monkey King.

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Chinese culture

5 martial arts films that feature the snake style of Shaolin kung fu

From an early Jackie Chan film to Kung Fu Panda and The Karate Kid, here are five movies where snake kung fu appears.

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Hong Kong celebrities and icons

Profile | Meet Dayo Wong, stand-up comedy icon and Hong Kong box office king

The star of The Last Dance has had a tumultuous rise to the top, with a string of failed films but a stellar stand-up career under his belt.

Dayo Wong in a still from The Last Dance. Photo: Emperor Motion Pictures
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

8 classic Hong Kong movies that influenced filmmaking in the city

Hong Kong filmmaking underwent successive evolutions thanks to films like Fist of Fury, Infernal Affairs and John Woo’s A Better Tomorrow.

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American cinema

How Chinese film fans embraced Cloud Atlas, movie spurned elsewhere

The Wachowkis and Tom Tykwer’s adaptation of David Mitchell’s novel was a box-office flop everywhere except China, despite a starry cast.

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Trending in China

‘Win back their love’: China actress positive over weight-loss popularity plunge

Many feel the thinner actress is less adorable and easy-going, with some saying she resembles ‘a half Jia Ling’.

Chinese actress Jia Ling says she is optimistic despite seeing her popularity slump after she lost weight for a role in a hit movie. Photo: SCMP composite/Weibo
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

The Hong Kong films released in 2024, ranked from worst to best

From We 12 to Papa, Fly Me to the Moon and The Last Dance, our ranking of the Hong Kong films that hit cinemas in the course of the year.

Dayo Wong Tze-wah in a still from The Last Dance. Photo: Emperor Motion Pictures
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

3 of John Woo’s lesser known action films, one so violent it was shelved

A triad movie with a young Stephen Chow, a crude war film and a crime caper starring Leslie Cheung. These 3 Woo projects fly under the radar.

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Asian cinema

The 12 best Asian films of 2024, including The Last Dance

From a Thai tear-jerker to a Korean cross-dressing romcom and a hand-drawn Japanese anime, our pick of the best Asian films of the past year.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | The Prosecutor: Donnie Yen literally fights for justice in court drama

The Prosecutor offers great action from Donnie Yen but with its simplistic representation of justice, don’t expect a hard-hitting drama.

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Donnie Yen in a still from The Prosecutor.
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Last Song for You: Natalie Hsu melts hearts in poignant fantasy romance

Natalie Hsu, helped by Ekin Cheng and Mirror’s Ian Chan, shines in this Hong Kong healing drama about memories, regret and lost love.

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Ian Chan (front) and Natalie Hsu in a still from Last Song for You.
Women and gender

Opinion | Chiung Yao’s celebration of women’s freedom goes deeper than her paeans to love

As Chinese women embrace feminism, the writer’s final celebration of her independence perhaps resonates more deeply than her love stories.

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Chinese culture

How snake went from evil temptress to righteous demon in Chinese mythology

The best known Chinese folk representation of snakes is the Legend of the White Snake. The snake’s role in it has gone from bad to good.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Stephen Chow’s ‘heroic’ makeover for Fight Back to School movies

Known for lowbrow comedies and playing the underdog, Chow was successfully recast as a suave hero, playing a cop undercover as a schoolboy.

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Stephen Chow Sing-chi in a still from Fight Back to School (1991). The comedy star had a “heroic” image makeover for this film and its sequel, and all three films were a showcase for his comedic genius. Photo: Win’s Movie Production & I/E Co. Ltd
Profile

How director Jia Zhangke captures China’s rise in his gritty films

Jia used footage filmed over 20 years – as well as unused footage from previous movies – to create his latest work, an ode to China’s rapid development.

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Haunting Call: Lin Min-chen sees ghosts in subpar Danny Pang horror

A live streamer steals a mobile phone that serves as an instrument of revenge for a ghost she befriends. Intriguing, but don’t expect scares.

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Chinese language cinema

Review | Daughter’s Daughter: Sylvia Chang anchors intricate women’s drama

Hou Hsiao-hsien acolyte Huang Xi’s second feature is an absorbing, skilfully crafted family drama anchored by Chang’s nuanced performance.

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Sylvia Chang in a still from Daughter’s Daughter.
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

The Ip Man movies without Donnie Yen, including a Wong Kar-wai version

The Ip Man story has been explored in multiple films, from Wong Kar-wai’s The Grandmaster starring Tony Leung to one featuring Anthony Wong.

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Tony Leung Chiu-wai in a still from The Grandmaster. Photo: Jet Tone Films
Art

5 of the best films by Chinese auteur Jia Zhangke

Discover Jia’s cinematic brilliance over the years with 5 must-watch films, from his gritty debut Xiao Wu to the violent A Touch of Sin.

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

10 snake-themed Chinese-language movies for coming Year of the Snake

From takes on the Legend of the White Snake to baffling tales of half-snake girls and soft-core erotica, 10 movies for the Year of the Snake.

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Trending in China

China actress Fan Bingbing rents Hong Kong flat for US$84,000, setting media abuzz

Fan says she will split her time between Hong Kong and various locations, including Hollywood.

Fan Bingbing’s decision to rent a super luxury property on The Peak has intensified speculation about her plans to settle in Hong Kong. Photo: SCMP composite/Weibo
Trending in China

Profile | Chinese actress Zeng Li celebrated as most beautiful student at university

Zeng’s beauty sparked rumours that director Zhang Yimou considered her for film role, but chose Zhang Ziyi instead due to her school absence.

Rumour has it that Zeng Li, left, missed an opportunity to work with the renowned director Zhang Yimou, middle, during his visit to her university, which resulted in a film role being awarded to Zhang Ziyi, right. Photo: SCMP composite/Weibo/Sohu
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Papa: Lau Ching-wan shines in haunting true-crime family drama

Lau’s character experiences a maelstrom of emotions after his son kills his wife and daughter in Philip Yung’s sublime human drama.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

How actor Lau Ching-wan added subtlety to his complex role in Papa

Lau talks about the nuances of playing a father whose wife and daughter are killed by his schizophrenic son in a film based on actual events.

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