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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.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM
The pre-Chinese New Year rush at the Kowloon-Canton Railway terminal in Hung Hom, in 1978. Photo: SCMP Archives

In pictures: crossing the Hong Kong-mainland China border through the decades

Discover how Hong Kong-mainland border crossings transformed from slow, queue-filled journeys in the 1970s to today’s seamless high-speed rail trips.

Reading Time:1 minute
The Hua Khao fishing village is populated by Muslims believed to be descended from Javanese settlers. Photo: Oliver Raw

Songkhla’s hidden charm: the town poised to put southern Thailand on the tourist map

Reading Time:7 minutes
Donald Trump attends a state dinner at the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing, in 2017. Photo: Reuters

Trump’s Beijing banquet: will it be Big Macs or Huaiyang cuisine in the Great Hall?

Reading Time:9 minutes
The Fairmont Udaipur Palace sprawls across an 18-acre estate on the outskirts of Udaipur. Photo: Gavin Yeung

From Udaipur’s Jal Sanjhi to Jaipur’s City Palace – Rajasthan’s living art thrives

Reading Time:7 minutes
Sichuan Verandah provides adjustable spice levels, from “baby spice” to “spice master”. Photo: courtesy Hyatt Centric Victoria Harbour Hong Kong

Hong Kong’s hottest new openings, from Stübli to Blanc de Noirs

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Innocent and Chihiro Mutanga on the rooftop of Chungking Mansions, in Tsim Sha Tsui, the spot where they got engaged. Photo: Tracy Wong

The cross-cultural love story that forms the heart of the Africa Centre

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Content from SCMP's Specialist Publications
Simon Yam (left) and Sandra Ng in a still from Echoes of the Rainbow (2010).
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Why Alex Law and Mabel Cheung’s nostalgic films are among their finest

Two of the most poignant movies by life partners Law and Cheung explore migration and memory, and star the likes of Sammo Hung and Simon Yam.

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China’s film industry

How a tiny indie movie sparked a major tourist boom in southern China

Chinese language cinema

Review | A Man and a Woman: Hong Kong-set quarantine drama is a tough watch

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Lau Ching-wan’s best mid-1990s films, from Loving You to Big Bullet

Several of Lau’s mid-1990s roles strongly hinted at the greatness to come for the four-time best actor winner.

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Hong Kong actor Lau Ching-wan attends an interview with the South China Morning Post in 1996. We look at three of his best films from the mid-1990s. Photo: SCMP
Hong Kong celebrities and icons

Profile | ‘I don’t want to be a diva or a billionaire’: Kay Tse’s 20-year Cantopop legacy

Cantopop singer Kay Tse’s two-decade career has been built on authenticity, a commitment to social issues and her love of Hong Kong.

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Fame and celebrity

Ludi Lin – Liu Kang in Mortal Kombat 2 – talks childhood and representation

Before he resumed his Mortal Kombat role, the actor worked on Power Rangers, Monster Hunt, DC’s Aquaman and Netflix’s Black Mirror.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Why Angela Mao, aka ‘the new Bruce Lee’, was a better fighter than Michelle Yeoh

Angela Mao, star of hits like Hapkido and Lady Whirlwind, was billed as the ‘new Bruce Lee’ by Golden Harvest after his death.

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Angela Mao (right) and Carter Wong in a still from The Tournament (1974). Mao learned martial arts at a Peking opera school in Taiwan. Photo: Fortune Star Media
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Cold War 1994: Hong Kong crime thriller prequel is a star-studded blast

Terrance Lau leads this unrealistic but fun 1990s-set actioner that’s stuffed with stars including Aaron Kwok, Chow Yun-fat and Louis Koo.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

How Hong Kong crime films have adapted in the national security law era

From Donnie Yen’s The Prosecutor to Cold War 1994, recent Hong Kong police thrillers are navigating tightened censorship in ingenious ways.

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

The bloody legacy of The One-Armed Swordsman film sequels

The two follow-ups to The One-Armed Swordsman are somewhat different to the original hit film but plenty of blood runs through all three.

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David Chiang Da-wei in a still from The New One-Armed Swordsman, a 1971 Hong Kong wuxia film directed by Chang Cheh.
Hong Kong celebrities and icons

Profile | The wild journey behind Tony Leung Ka-fai’s Hong Kong Film Awards record

Tony Leung Ka-fai’s fifth HKFA best actor win cements his legendary cinema status amid years of resilience, reinvention and cultural impact.

Tony Leung Ka-fai poses on the red carpet during the 35th Hong Kong Film Awards in 2016. His fifth best actor win at the HKFA cements his legendary Hong Kong cinema status. Photo: SCMP
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

How a Hong Kong indie film uses tea to bridge the city’s ethnic minority divide

Brian Hung’s Let’s Have a Cup of Doodh Patti Chai looks at Hong Kong’s ethnic minorities and how tea brings together people of many cultures.

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Why these 1980s Hong Kong crime movies produced by Tsui Hark are hidden gems

The Big Heat and Gunmen, both released in 1988, are brutal action thrillers full of violence, brotherhood drama and intrigue.

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American cinema

How M. Butterfly subverted Western fantasies of Chinese femininity

David Cronenberg’s 1993 movie starring John Lone as a cross-dresser who woos Jeremy Irons’ diplomat was an interesting but failed experiment.

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John Lone in a still from M. Butterfly. David Cronenberg’s Beijing-set romance featuring Lone as a spy who disguises himself as a woman to seduce Jeremy Irons’ French diplomat was an interesting experiment, even if it failed to convince audiences.
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Who will win at the Hong Kong Film Awards 2026? Our predictions

SCMP film editor Edmund Lee forecasts the best film, director, screenplay, actors and supporting actors at this weekend’s 44th HKFA.

Louis Koo in a still from Back to the Past.
Chinese language cinema

What A Foggy Tale taught Will Or and 9m88 about Taiwan’s White Terror era

Will Or and Joanne Tang (9m88) reveal how their characters in A Foggy Tale inspired and moved them in different ways.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Why these 3 Hong Kong comedies from the 1970s and 80s became local favourites

Itchy Fingers, Pom Pom and Where’s Officer Tuba? were mainstream films that shone amid the proliferation of kung fu and action comedies.

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Hong Kong celebrities and icons

Profile | ‘Not pretty enough’? Joey Yung became a top Cantopop star anyway

From rejected teen singer to Cantopop legend, Joey Yung’s grit, voice and unwavering work ethic have outlasted her critics.

Singer Joey Yung at Lee Garden Two in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, in 2006. The singer defied early career setbacks to become a Cantopop icon. Photo: Oliver Tsang
Chinese language cinema

Review | Pegasus 3: Shen Teng roars back in Han Han’s blockbuster racing sequel

Shen Teng stars as a former rally champion who has fallen on hard times in Pegasus 3, which really takes off in its exhilarating third act.

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Chinese language cinema

How Gingle Wang went from clueless novice to one of Taiwan’s top young actresses

Wang’s first-ever scene took 33 takes, but now she is a ‘box office guarantee’ in Taiwan and an increasingly familiar face internationally.

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

What happened when Ann Hui adapted Eileen Chang’s classic stories?

Director Ann Hui has adapted three of Eileen Chang’s stories for the big screen. We look at two: Love in a Fallen City and Eighteen Springs.

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Chow Yun-fat (left) and Cora Miao in a still from Love in a Fallen City (1984), directed by Ann Hui.
Chinese language cinema

Why fierce mothers and violent monsters star in Joe Hsieh’s animations

Taiwanese director Hsieh reflects on the strength of women, preferring hand-drawn animation over AI, and using violence in film.

A still from Night Bus (2019).
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | We’re Nothing at All: Herman Yau’s grim social critique lacks all subtlety

A gripping drama, We’re Nothing at All explores societal apathy through a tragic bus blast – but its heavy-handed approach may deter viewers.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

3 Anthony Wong films from the early 90s that show his wide acting range

Before becoming stereotyped for extreme roles, Wong gave nuanced turns as a whiny gangster opposite Chow Yun-fat and as Veronica Yip’s tormentor.

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Hong Kong celebrities and icons

Profile | How Leslie Cheung broke all the rules to become a Hong Kong superstar

The music and cinema legend’s artistry, vulnerability and defiance in a conservative Asian society forever reshaped Hong Kong pop culture.

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Hong Kong pop icon Leslie Cheung on the set of director Wong Kar-wai’s Days of Being Wild in 1990. Cheung was a trailblazing Cantopop icon who reshaped Hong Kong’s entertainment scene. Photo: SCMP
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

How director Benny Chan bridged old-school stunts and modern action

2003’s Heroic Duo and 2007’s Invisible Target were full of the director’s flair for action, reckless stunts and literal explosive scenes.

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Nicholas Tse in a still from Invisible Target (2007), directed by Benny Chan, whose 2000s films were a blend of classic stunts and modern action.
American cinema

How the eye-catchingly sexist DOA: Dead or Alive survived chaotic China shoot

Filmed at Hengdian World Studios, DOA: Dead or Alive helped pioneer East-West cinema collaboration – even if it bombed at the box office.

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On Our Radar

Hong Kong International Film Festival brings out the big guns for its 50th year

The city’s flagship cinema event marks its Golden Jubilee with a global slate, major auteurs and a spotlight on Asian storytelling.

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