A Chinese Ghost Story I Ii Iii -1987-1990-1991-... May 2026
The first film is, without a doubt, a masterpiece. It introduces us to Ning Tsai-shen (Leslie Cheung), a bumbling but kind-hearted debt collector who takes shelter in a haunted temple. There, he falls in love with Lit Siu-sin (Joey Wong), a beautiful ghost enslaved to a Tree Demon.
What makes the original so enduring is its atmosphere. It is gothic yet vibrant, terrifying yet tender. Leslie Cheung embodies the archetypal "nice guy" scholar with a clumsy charm, while Joey Wong creates the definitive image of the "fox spirit"—ethereal, innocent, and tragic. The chemistry between them makes the impossible romance feel grounded.
Visually, the film is a triumph of pre-digital effects. The Tree Demon is a terrifying puppeteered nightmare, and the action sequences—choreographed with flowing fabrics and gravity-defying wires—set the standard for wuxia cinema for decades. The ending theme, performed by Cheung, remains one of the most iconic songs in Chinese cinema history.
The 1987 film is a masterclass in tonal whiplash. One moment, you are laughing at Leslie Cheung (a man who famously hated action scenes) fumbling with a sword; the next, you are weeping as Joey Wong’s ghost tries to save her lover from a slimy, tentacled root monster.
The climax is furious: Yin Chek-ha burns the Tree Demon with a magic sword, but Xiaoqian is destined for reincarnation. With dawn breaking, Choi-san shields her ashes from the sunlight, screaming her name. It is a bittersweet ending—she is reborn as a mortal noblewoman, but she will never remember him. A chinese ghost story I II III -1987-1990-1991-...
The film opens with Ling Choi-san, a meek, debt-ridden tax collector, who is forced to spend the night at the infamous Lanruo Temple. Unbeknownst to him, the forest is ruled by a thousand-year-old Tree Demon (Lau Siu-ming) and its legion of beautiful, enslaved female ghosts.
There, he meets Nie Xiaoqian—a ghost tasked with seducing and draining the life force of mortal men. However, Choi-san’s sincerity, poetry, and awkward purity disarm her. Instead of killing him, she falls in love. When the Tree Demon arrives to claim them, the duo is rescued by the drunken but invincible Taoist swordsman, Yin Chek-ha.
Following the smash success of the first film, a sequel was inevitable. However, the tragic ending of Part I left little room for a direct sequel. Instead, A Chinese Ghost Story II goes full Tsui Hark: louder, faster, more politically chaotic, and significantly more confusing.
The Plot: Ling Choi-san is mistaken for a fugitive rebel and thrown into prison. The world has changed; evil ministers and demons (led by a centipede spirit) control the land. He meets a doppelgänger of the deceased Hsiao-ching (Joey Wong again, playing a human revolutionary named Ching). Alongside a new female sword-fighter (Michelle Reis) and the returning Yin Chek-ha, Ling must defeat a massive, transforming demon. The first film is, without a doubt, a masterpiece
Tonal Shift: Part II abandons the quiet, Gothic horror of the temple for political satire and monster brawls. The Tree Devil is gone. In its place is a giant, glowing centipede that sheds human skin. The romance is secondary to the acrobatics.
What works: Michelle Reis as the cold, practical monk-fighter "Moon" is a highlight. The final battle, featuring a giant hollow demon head and massive explosions, is pure Hong Kong insanity. What fails: The magic is diluted. Replacing the unique chemistry of "ghost and scholar" with a "look-alike human" feels like cheating. Leslie Cheung’s Ling is now a screaming coward for 90% of the runtime, which gets exhausting.
The Verdict: An entertaining, over-stuffed blockbuster. It lacks the soul of the original but is a crucial bridge to the madness of Part III.
She played three versions of “Xiaoqian” (two named directly, one as Windy). Each is distinct: the tragic lover, the political pawn, the playful spirit. Together, they form a meditation on the many faces of feminine sacrifice and agency in Chinese folklore. The climax is furious: Yin Chek-ha burns the
If you have never experienced these films, find a restored 4K print. Let the mournful pan-flute music wash over you. In a world of soulless CGI blockbusters, the image of Joey Wong floating through a ruined temple, her silk ribbons trailing through moonlight, remains the definitive image of cinematic enchantment.
"It's too dangerous to be a hero." – Yin Chek-ha. But for one trilogy, it was worth it.
The A Chinese Ghost Story trilogy (1987, 1990, 1991) is a cornerstone of Hong Kong cinema, blending supernatural horror, martial arts action, and gothic romance into a genre-defining "xianxia" experience. Produced by Tsui Hark and directed by Ching Siu-tung, the series revitalized traditional folklore with gravity-defying wirework and innovative special effects. A Chinese Ghost Story (1987)
The first film follows Ning Caichen (Leslie Cheung), a timid debt collector who seeks shelter in the haunted Lanruo Temple. There, he falls in love with Nie Xiaoqian (Joey Wong), a beautiful ghost enslaved by a sinister Tree Demoness (Lau Siu-ming) who uses her to lure travelers and drain their life essence. To free her soul, Ning teams up with the eccentric Taoist priest Yan Chixia (Wu Ma), leading to a climactic battle in the underworld.
Key Highlights: The iconic bathtub scene, Wu Ma’s memorable Taoist rap, and the ethereal, award-winning score by James Wong. Availability: A 4K restored version was released in 2025. A Chinese Ghost Story II (1990)