Once Upon a Time in China

Set in Canton toward the end of the nineteenth century, the film follows Wong Fei-Hung, a martial arts master and traditional physician, as foreign powers tighten their hold on China. Western influence is spreading through the region, and Wong grows troubled by what it means for the country's own customs and authority. The arrival of his aunt, who has returned from America thoroughly accustomed to Western ways, sharpens that tension within his own household. When local officials and outside interests become entangled in the exploitation of ordinary citizens, Wong and his followers are drawn into the conflict, and the question of whether martial skill can answer firearms becomes increasingly pressing.

Tsui Hark directed and co-wrote the film, which stands as the seventh of the thirty-one features he has directed, following Swordsman and preceding The Banquet. Jet Li plays Wong Fei-Hung, with Yuen Biao, Jacky Cheung, Rosamund Kwan, Kent Cheng Jak-Si and Yuen Gam-Fai among the credited cast of twenty-five. Made in Hong Kong, it is an action drama produced by Orange Sky Golden Harvest and Paragon Films Ltd.

The film took about four million dollars worldwide. On IMDb it holds a rating of 7.2 from roughly nineteen and a half thousand votes, while on TMDB it sits at 7.1 from about five hundred votes; a critics' rating of 7.2 rests on thirty reviews, placing professional and audience responses closely in line.