Summary

• Wuxia cinema used Ancient China to tell epic stories of battles, romance, and supernatural scenarios.
• Many martial arts movies set in Ancient China were known for their variety and countless tales.
• Movies like Mulan and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon opened up mainstream audiences to wuxia filmmaking.

Martial arts movies have always been intrinsically linked to an Ancient Chinese setting and wuxia cinema used this era to tell stories of epic historical battles, romantic encounters, and supernatural scenarios. Wuxia was a popular genre of martial arts movies in Asian filmmaking and through the decades these films have used this setting as the basis for countless kung-fu classics, fantasy fighting films, and wonderfully weird wuxia worlds. In movies made by production companies like the Shaw Brothers Studio, martial arts legends would star in thrilling films set in Ancient China.

From the action-packed adventures of deadly assassins to the ravishing romances of wayward warriors, martial arts movies set in Ancient China were categorized by their sheer variety, as the broad nature of this setting allowed for countless stories to be told. Certain releases like Hero, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and even Disney’s Mulan have achieved widespread recognition, while others were only known to the most die-hard wuxia enthusiasts. There were just so many incredible martial arts movies set in Ancient China.

15 The Avenging Eagle (1978)

Directed by Sun Chung

Produced by the acclaimed Shaw Brothers Studio and featuring martial stars Ti Lung, Alexander Fu, and Ku Feng, The Avenging Eagle was an enjoyable Hong Kong wuxia film full of exciting fight scenes, deadly assassins, and a threatening group of bandits known as the Iron Boat Clan. A thrilling soul-searching journey set against the backdrop of Ancient China, The Avenging Eagle was a powerful story of redemption, revenge, and retribution. Not as widely known as other wuxia classics, The Avenging Eagle was a hidden gem for those who had yet to discover it.

14 Zu Warriors And The Magic Mountain (1983)

Directed by Tsui Hark

Zu Warriors and the Magic Mountain expertly explored the supernatural elements of the wuxia genre and acted as a thrilling adaptation of the Chinese 1932 novel Legend of the Swordsmen of the Mountains of Shu. Set during the period of the Sixteen Kingdoms, Zu Warriors and the Magic Mountain starred martial arts legends Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao caught up in a fantastical quest to ride the world of evil. Notably, Zu Warriors and the Magic Mountain served as influence for John Carpenter’s action-fantasy Big Trouble in Little China starring Kurt Russell.

13 Ashes Of Time (1994)

Directed by Wong Kar-wai

A prequel to the Chinese wuxia novel The Legend of the Condor Heroes, Ashes of Time humanized that novel’s antagonist Ouyang Feng as his heartfelt backstory served to subvert the intentions of the original book. Ashes of Time showcased Feng’s descension into villainy throughout five acts set in Ancient China. Full of action, metaphor, and enjoyable metacontextual commentary on its source material, Ashes of Time received mixed reviews in Hong Kong when it was first released although a shorter re-released version titled Ashes of Time Redux was better received.

12 Mulan (1998)

Directed by Barry Cook and Tony Bancroft

While the status of Disney’s Mulan as a martial arts movie may be debatable there was no denying that the success of this action-adventure animation movie opened a generation of kids up to the world of wuxia filmmaking. Through the presentation of Ancient China, Asian mysticism, and Mulan’s transformation from a young woman to a sword-wielding warrior, Mulan featured strong martial arts action sequences and enjoyable musical numbers. The acceptance of Mulan by a mainstream audience acted as a great entry point for those interested in martial arts and wuxia movies.

11 The Storm Riders (1998)

Directed by Andrew Lau

The Storms Riders was an excellent wuaxi fantasy movie based on Feng Yun manhua comic series set in the jianghu of China during the Ming dynasty. The Storm Riders explored Lord Conqueror’s intent on achieving invincibility and taking over the world, to achieve this, he must fulfill a prophecy and take in two children named Wind and Cloud. Later both Striding Cloud and Whispering Wind grew up and became skilled martial artists much to the detriment of Conqueror. The Storm Riders was a mythical tale with impressive special effects that led to a sequel called The Storm Warriors in 2009.

10 A Touch Of Zen (1971)

Directed by King Hu

Based on the classic Chinese story “Xianü” in the book Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio by Pu Songling, A Touch of Zen explored Buddhist themes and the supernatural against a backdrop of the Ancient Chinese Ming Dynasty. A Taiwanese production made by former Shaw Brothers Studio filmmaker King Hu, A Touch of Zen was an international success that was even nominated for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. An epic tale of a woman warrior fugitive, A Touch of Zen blended intense action with spiritual enlightenment.

9 Come Drink With Me (1966)

Directed by King Hu

Come Drink With Me was a wuxia film produced by Shaw Brothers Studio that told the story of a skilled martial artist and daughter of the governor sent on a mission to rescue her kidnapped brother. Widely acclaimed, Come Drink With Me was set during the Ming Dynasty and made a star out of its lead Cheng Pei-pei, who almost 35 later came to mainstream attention following her lead role in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The legacy of Come Drink With Me has endured and at one point director Quentin Tarantino was linked to a now-abandoned American remake (via Empire.)

8 Iron Monkey (1993)

Directed by Yuen Woo-ping

Iron Monkey recounted the story of the Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-hung and his father Wong Kei-yeng and their encounter with the masked martial artist known as Iron Monkey. A powerful story of deception, thievery, and secrecy, Iron Monkey featured stunning scenery and a beautiful atmosphere as it expertly captured its period setting and showcased exquisite fight sequences complete with an infectious sense of fun. The American release of Iron Monkey was backed by director Quentin Tarantino (via LA Times) and was a hit with audiences and critics.

7 Curse Of The Golden Flower (2006)

Directed by Zhang Yimou

An epic wuxia drama, Curse of the Golden Flower was set in the Imperial Court in Ancient China and based its plot on the 1934 play Thunderstorm by Cao Yu. The most expensive Chinese film ever at the time of its release (via CCTV), Curse of the Golden Flower explored the political complexities, intense power dynamics, and acts of rebellion seen during China’s Tang dynasty. With impressive battle scenes, non-stop martial arts action, and an accomplished visual style, Curse of the Golden Flower was a delightful slice of melodrama that succeeded on all fronts.

6 The One-Armed Swordsman (1967)

Directed by Chang Cheh

After being attacked by bandits, Fang Cheng, the hero of The One-Armed Swordsman, lost his arm but was still compelled to master a new style of swordplay in this Shaw Brothers Studio wuxia movie. A major success at the box office, The One-Armed Swordsman made a star out of Jimmy Wang and became a classic of Hong Kong cinema and the inception point for an entire trilogy of movies. The popularity of The One-Armed Swordsman led Wang to play more one-armed characters in movies like Zatoichi and the One-Armed Swordsman and One-Armed Boxer, which he directed himself.