A Chinese Ghost Story I Ii Iii -1987-1990-1991-... Fix Jun 2026

The first film is a certified classic. It follows Ning Choi-san (the late, legendary Leslie Cheung), a bumbling debt collector who has to stay in the haunted Orchid Temple because he’s too broke for an inn. There, he meets Nip Siu-sin (Joey Wong), a beautiful ghost forced to lure men to their deaths by her master, a terrifying Tree Demon with a massive, prehensile tongue. Why it works:

By 1991, the franchise had evolved. Part III (sometimes subtitled The Spirit of the Sword ) is a semi-remake of the first film, but with a twist: it centers on a different scholar and a different ghost. Yin Chek-ha (Wu Ma, in his final appearance as the character) returns as an older, wiser, but still rambunctious Taoist. He takes on a new disciple, a young monk named Fong (Jacky Cheung, the famous singer, in a scene-stealing comedic role). A chinese ghost story I II III -1987-1990-1991-...

From 1987 to 1991, the A Chinese Ghost Story trilogy set a benchmark for East Asian fantasy cinema. The first film is a certified classic

In the pantheon of world cinema, there are few films that perfectly capture the intoxicating blend of sorrow, supernatural horror, and acrobatic wonder quite like Tsui Hark’s production of A Chinese Ghost Story (originally titled Sinnui yauman ). Released at the tail end of the 1980s and concluding in the early 90s, the trilogy spanning remains the gold standard for the "oriental fantasy" genre. Why it works: By 1991, the franchise had evolved

Directed by Wong Jing, this installment shifts focus to a young man named Sung (played by Richard Ng) who gets involved with a ghost, leading to a series of comedic misadventures. The film stars a different cast from the first two movies but tries to capture the same blend of genres.