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Chinese language cinema

Chinese language cinema
From Andy Lau to John Woo, from Jiang Wen to Tsai Ming-liang to Sylvia Chang, and from triads to kung fu to hopping vampires to costume epics, this is the place to go for features, interviews and reviews about Chinese-language movies from Hong Kong, Taiwan and mainland China.
Michelle Yeoh (right) in a still from Wing Chun (1994). The Malaysian actress is one of many women to have starred in Hong Kong action movies over the decades. We look at her roles and those of others, from Angela Mao Ying to Brigitte Lin.
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

From Cheng Pei-pei to Michelle Yeoh, Hong Kong’s history of action heroines

Hong Kong studios embraced female action stars long before Hollywood. Here’s how some of the biggest triumphed in wuxia and kung fu films.

Wellness

He trained Jet Li. Wu Bin, 89, shares his secrets to great health in old age

Chinese culture

Famous Chinese women in folklore, from Mulan to a dynasty-toppling consort

Hong Kong celebrities and icons

Profile | How Cantopop lyricist Wyman Wong became a cultural force in Hong Kong

Songwriter for the stars, fashion journalist, LGBTQ activist – Wong’s impact on modern Hong Kong culture cannot be overstated.

Wyman Wong attends the Ultimate Song Chart Awards 2016 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on January 1, 2017. The Hong Kong lyricist, actor and fashionista has written career-defining hits for many Cantopop singers, appeared in various movies, designed and written about fashion, and promoted LGBTQ visibility in his home city. Photo: Visual China Group via Getty Images
Wyman Wong (centre) and fellow Commercial Radio Hong Kong DJ Lois Kwok Ching (right) talk to Cantopop star Sandy Lam Yik-lin at her concert in 1994. Photo: SCMP
Wyman Wong (first right) attends the Ten Best Dressed Personalities Awards 2005. Photo: SCMP
Wyman Wong and influential fashion columnist Winifred Lai attend a fashion launch in Causeway Bay in 2007. Photo: SCMP
Wyman Wong arrives for a memorial service to honour and celebrate the life of Vivienne Westwood at Southwark Cathedral in London on February 16, 2023. Photo: AP Photo
Asian cinema: Chinese films

Review | Once Upon a Time in the Middle East: Shen Teng leads anti-war blockbuster

Full of roaring action and heart-wrenching tension, this mainland China hit delivers a message of peace through Chinese cooking appreciation.

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Asian cinema: Chinese films

Review | Arrested Memory: Ethan Ruan leads Sabu’s muddled police thriller

Ethan Ruan plays a detective with memory issues investigating a kidnapping case in this action-packed if confused police procedural.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

The wild days of Hong Kong’s Category III era: when sex and gore went mainstream

The adults-only, Category III rating was introduced in 1988, making stars of actresses including Shu Qi and Amy Yip.

Clockwise from left: Elvis Tsui (left) and Shu Qi in a still from Sex and Zen II (1996); Chingmy Yau Suk-ching in a still from Naked Killer (1992); Veronica Yip Yuk-hing in the film, Hidden Desire (1991); Simon Yam Tat-wah in a still from Dr Lamb (1992); Amy Yip Chi-mei in a still from Sex and Zen (1991); The Untold Story. (Pork bun murders) starring Anthony Wong.
US-China relations

Can Chinese sleeper hit Dear You conquer the US box office next?

After grossing nearly US$300 million in mainland China, its North American release will test its popularity beyond Chinese-speaking diaspora.

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Asian cinema: Chinese films

Review | I Know Who You Are: Hu Ge leads Chinese spy drama that falters at the finish

Feng Xiaogang’s drama set during the early years of the People’s Republic of China entertains but is let down by an unsatisfying ending.

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Crime in Hong Kong

Man, 87, arrested after gravestone of film star Linda Lin Dai found vandalised

Marble altar at Lin’s Happy Valley grave found covered in cement, with police saying cemetery staff reported suspected vandalism.

Linda Lin’s grave at St Michael’s Catholic Cemetery in Happy Valley was previously found damaged. Photo: Edmond So
China society

Opinion | How a Chinese kitchen in the Middle East could stir up global cinema

Upending Hollywood’s ‘saviour-hero’ convention in war films, a tale about a humble chef offers a quiet, distinctly Chinese perspective.

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A still from the Chinese film Once Upon a Time in the Middle East. Photo: Dirty Monkeys
Hong Kong celebrities and icons

Profile | How Josie Ho rejected her billionaire heiress destiny for indie filmmaking

Macau casino magnate Stanley Ho’s eighth child has built her own legacy as a musician, award-winning actress and movie producer.

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Wakesurf Lovers: Jeffrey Ngai, Renci Yeung make a splash in uneven sports drama

Full of beautiful bodies but paper-thin characters, Fung Chih-chiang’s film about wakesurfing and cybershaming drifts nowhere in particular.

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Asian cinema: Chinese films

The Chinese Mulholland Drive? Why ‘so bad it’s good’ film Niu Lai is special

Initially mocked, the low-budget film by a first-time animator and his mum is now being hailed as a bastion of hard work and free expression.

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A still from Niu Lai, a Chinese micro-budget animated feature by Xin Yumeng and Sun Lifang. Met with memes and widespread mockery upon its release on August 5, 2026, the movie has since become a must-see box-office hit that has made millions. Photo: courtesy of Dalian Jingyuan Culture Film and Television Media
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

How Ronny Yu and Jet Li made Fearless (2006) a martial arts masterpiece

Director Ronny Yu put Jet Li’s martial arts skills and acting chops to good use in this classic, blending superb fights and a human story.

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Jet Li in a still from Fearless, the acclaimed 2006 martial arts film directed by Ronny Yu. Photo: SCMP
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | A Mighty Adventure: wordless animation by McDull director is breezy if flawed

Hong Kong director Toe Yuen’s film about insects surviving the city is a visual marvel, though dialogue would have made it more expressive.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | The Dating Menu: a drifter chef looks to connect in wistful romantic drama

Lo Chun-yip plays a chef who tries out a dating app and cooks for four very different women as he tries to get over a previous relationship.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

How ‘Siuyea’ Lo Chun-yip shed his indie director mindset to become a leading man

The ‘late bloomer’, who switched directing for acting in 2015, takes on his first main lead role with new film The Dating Menu.

Hong Kong actor and filmmaker Lo Chun-yip, also known as Siuyea, at an interview with the SCMP at the Golden Scene office in Jordan. Photo: SCMP/Jonathan Wong
Asian cinema: Chinese films

Review | All Wishes Come True!: Chinese animation reinvents the Eight Immortals

This culturally authentic and wholly accessible origin story is a visually dazzling infusion of Chinese and Western storytelling conventions.

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Hong Kong celebrities and icons

Profile | Alex To’s 40-year Cantopop legacy: R&B origins, comebacks, acting triumphs

The now 64-year-old Hong Kong-born singer and actor remains one of the industry’s most enduring and unpredictable figures.

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European cinema

How this British-Chinese filmmaker aims to build the Blumhouse of action

Inspired by John Woo and Chow Yun-fat, Chee Keong Cheung talks about his Action Xtreme studio and upcoming film Bad Day at the Office.

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Filmmaker Chee Keong Cheung on the set of one of his films. Cheung founded the UK’s first action-oriented film studio, Action Xtreme, while his new feature, Bad Day at the Office, will have its world premiere on August 13 at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.
China property

Derelict cinema on scenic Hong Kong island has a US$1 million price tag

Peng Chau Cinema was once a bustling nightspot but has lain virtually empty for almost four decades and is now set to go under the hammer.

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The once popular Peng Chau Cinema closed down almost four decades ago. The site, which currently hosts markets and other community events, is now up for sale. Photo: Peng Chau Cinema
American cinema

How did Snow Flower and the Secret Fan become such an ambitious failure?

Wayne Wang’s 2011 film blends past and present, but despite its ambition and talent, it struggled to resonate with audiences.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

How Curry and Pepper showed Stephen Chow’s comedy genius before superstardom hit

The 1990 buddy cop film was released less than three months before All for the Winner turned Stephen Chow into a superstar in Hong Kong.

Fifa World Cup

Opinion | Why underdogs like Alexandra Eala, Cabo Verde, Dear You fascinate us

Money still shapes the balance of power, but every so often a team, player or film will rise up to challenge the status quo and inspire us.

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Alexandra Eala of the Philippines holds the championship trophy after winning the women’s singles final against Jessica Pegula of the United States at the Mubadala DC Open at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Centre in Washington on August 3. Photo: AFP
What to do in Hong Kong

5 of the best things to do in Hong Kong this weekend, August 7-9

Enjoy a floating gong bath, teach your kids about upcycling, learn to write your name in Egyptian hieroglyphics and more this weekend.

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Malbert Lee will hold a sound healing experience at Tune In Wellness in Wan Chai this Saturday. Photo: Instagram/Tune In Wellness
Asian cinema: Chinese films

Review | Back to Love: the Teochew romance that led to smash hit Dear You

Exploring family dynamics and modernity in a heartfelt Teochew romance, Lan Hongchun’s Back to Love charms with its cultural themes.

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Asian cinema

10 must-see movies and programmes at Hong Kong’s Summer IFF 2026

This year’s Cine Fan Summer International Film Festival boasts 37 features, from regional premieres to 4K restorations of Hong Kong classics.

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