A Chinese Ghost Story I Ii Iii -1987-1990-1991-... =link= Link

Love, Lycanthropes, and Lamentations: Unpacking the “A Chinese Ghost Story” Trilogy

In the pantheon of Hong Kong cinema, few films balance the ethereal and the electric quite like A Chinese Ghost Story (1987). Directed by Ching Siu-tung and produced by the legendary Tsui Hark, the film—and its two immediate sequels—did more than just scare audiences; it invented a new visual language. Combining wuxia swordplay, slapstick comedy, Arthurian romance, and jaw-dropping special effects, the trilogy remains the definitive benchmark for the supernatural action-romance genre.

Films and Release Years

• A Chinese Ghost Story (1987) — directed by Ching Siu-tung, produced by Tsui Hark
• A Chinese Ghost Story II (1990) — directed by Ching Siu-tung
• A Chinese Ghost Story III (1991) — directed by Ching Siu-tung

Key takeaway: Part II trades gothic romance for political allegory and insane action. The final battle, featuring a giant golden Buddha statue fighting a centipede, is a masterpiece of stop-motion and scale models. While less cohesive than Part I, it is arguably more fun. A chinese ghost story I II III -1987-1990-1991-...

Part I: A Chinese Ghost Story (1987) – The Eternal Sorrow

Plot Summary

The first film is a masterpiece of gothic romance. Ning Tsai-shen (Leslie Cheung), a gentle, debt-ridden tax collector, seeks shelter for a night at the notoriously haunted Orchid Temple. There, he meets Nie Xiaoqian (Joey Wong), a woman of ethereal beauty who lures men to their deaths for her mistress, the thousand-year-old Tree Demon (Lau Siu-ming, voiced with terrifying elegance). Ning, unlike the lecherous men before him, treats her with respect and kindness. They fall in love. A Chinese Ghost Story (1987) — directed by