The 40 most popular hong kong history movies, ranked. Click any film for ratings, reviews, trailers, and where to watch.


Hero
2002 · 1h 39m · HK
During China's Warring States period, a district prefect arrives at the palace of Qin Shi Huang, claiming to have killed the three assassins who had made an attempt on the king's life three years ago.


Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story
1993 · 2h · HK
This film is a glimpse into the life, love and the unconquerable spirit of the legendary Bruce Lee. From a childhood of rigorous martial arts training, Lee realizes his dream of opening his own kung-fu school in America. Before long, he is discovered by a Hollywood producer and begins a meteoric rise to fame and an all too short reign as one the most charismatic action heroes in cinema history.


Ip Man 3
2015 · 1h 45m · CN
When a band of brutal gangsters led by a crooked property developer make a play to take over the city, Master Ip is forced to take a stand.


The Grandmaster
2013 · 2h 10m · HK
The fall of China's last dynasty, a time of chaos, division and war, is the golden age of Chinese martial arts. Legendary kung fu master Ip Man, who will eventually train Bruce Lee, finds his peaceful life interrupted by vengeance.


Last Hero in China
1993 · 1h 51m · HK
Jet Li stars in this comic spectacle as a Chinese "Robin Hood" who stumbles upon a kidnapping scheme after unwittingly opening a martial arts school next to a brothel!


The Warlords
2007 · 2h 6m · CN
The civil war in China has ruined many lives including General Pang's. A wounded General Pang is saved by a beautiful young woman along with two other men. Together they vow to eradicate the rebels.


The Flowers of War
2011 · 2h 26m · CN
A Westerner finds refuge with a group of women in a church during Japan's rape of Nanking in 1937. Posing as a priest, he attempts to lead the women to safety.


Men Behind the Sun
1988 · 1h 45m · HK
Japanese troops round up Chinese and Russian prisoners of war and take them to unit 731, where they're horribly tortured and experimented on to test new biological weapons.


Ip Man
2008 · 1h 46m · CN
A semi-biographical account of Yip Man, the first martial arts master to teach the Chinese martial art of Wing Chun. The film focuses on events surrounding Ip that took place in the city of Foshan between the 1930s to 1940s during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Directed by Wilson Yip, the film stars Donnie Yen in the lead role, and features fight choreography by Sammo Hung.


Lover of the Last Empress
1995 · 1h 40m · HK
The story of an innocent girl who is destined to become one of the emperor´s concubines. Initially she suffers from a loss of innocence and the intrigues of the other concubines but over the course of time she becomes less and less scrupulous and finally is impregnated by the emperor and thus becomes his wife - the empress of China. However, her "career" has corrupted her once innocent soul and so, after the emperor dies she rules the land with terror.


Dragon Blade
2015 · 2h 7m · HK
Huo An, the commander of the Protection Squad of the Western Regions, was framed by evil forces and becomes enslaved. On the other hand, a Roman general escapes to China after rescuing the Prince. The heroic duo meet in the Western Desert and a thrilling story unfolds.


Ip Man 4: The Finale
2019 · 1h 45m · CN
Following the death of his wife, Ip Man travels to San Francisco to ease tensions between the local kung fu masters and his star student, Bruce Lee, while searching for a better future for his son.


Bodyguards and Assassins
2009 · 2h 19m · CN
In 1905, revolutionist Sun Yat-sen came to Hong Kong to meet revolutionary comrades. The Qing government sent a group of killers to murder him. Ordinary citizens from all walks of life joined together, blocking the streets and fighting off the assassins to keep Sun Yat-sen safe.


Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon
2008 · 1h 41m · CN
The aging Zhao embarks on his final and greatest campaign, a road to adventure that will crown his name in glory for all time.


Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen
2010 · 1h 45m · HK
The Japanese forces occupy Shanghai and slowly start spreading terror in the city. Chen Zhen, who was presumed dead, returns to fight against the Japanese and put an end to their tyrannical rule.


An Empress and the Warriors
2008 · 1h 39m · CN
After the death of her father, a woman is forced to take over as empress and fight to save her kingdom.


Battle of Jangsari
2019 · 1h 44m · KR
Korean War, September 1950. In order to fight the enemy forces based in the South of the peninsula, General MacArthur orders the start of the Incheon Landing Operation, deploying diversionary attacks in other locations. Without real military forces to spare, 772 very young Korean student soldiers, barely trained, are sent to Jangsari Beach, where they will face a heroic fate and discover the value of friendship. (A sequel to Operation Chromite, released in 2016.)


Romance of the West Chamber
1997 · 1h 32m · HK
Cheung, a 23-year-old unmarried travelling scholar, stops by the monastery, where he sees a beautiful woman. Against the rules, Monk Faben allows Cheung to stay and woo the girl, Ann-Ann. She is shy, and also the Prime Minister's daughter, so the wooing is arranged by Ann-Ann's maid Hung.


Center Stage
1991 · 2h 35m · HK
Based on the tragic true story of China's first prima donna of the silver screen, Ruan Lingyu, chronicling her rise to fame as a movie actress in Shanghai during the 1930s.


The Banquet
2006 · 2h 11m · CN
Crown Prince Wu Luan is in love with Little Wan but left heartbroken when she marries his father, the emperor. The emperor's brother, Li, kills him and Wu Luan tries to avenge his father's death.


Once Upon a Time in China IV
1993 · 1h 41m · HK
Wong Fei Hung must win another Lion Dance contest in order to defeat the eight foreign concessions in Shanghai.


Assembly
2007 · 2h 3m · CN
Follows a soldier trying to gain recognition for comrades who died in 1948, at a turning point in the civil war between the communists and the nationalist forces of the Kuomintang.


Mother Bhumi
2025 · 2h 9m · HK
In a community of farmers living on the Malaysia-Thailand border, Hong Im recently lost her husband under mysterious circumstances. Hong Im uses black magic to address villagers’ everyday issues until she encounters a ghost that reveals a secret about her husband’s death.


City of Life and Death
2009 · 2h 12m · CN
In 1937, during the height of the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Imperial Japanese Army has just captured Nanjing, then-capital of the Republic of China. What followed was known as the Nanking Massacre, or the Rape of Nanking, a six week period wherein tens of thousands of Chinese soldiers and civilians were killed.


On Wings of Eagles
2016 · 1h 36m · CN
Eric Liddell - China's first gold medalist and one of Scotland's greatest athletes - returns to war-torn China.


The Lost Bladesman
2011 · 1h 47m · CN
During the warring period of the three kingdoms, ancient China is in turmoil. To unify the country, general Cao Cao, the real power behind the Emperor, enlists the aid of the greatest warrior in the land, Guan Yu. However, Guan Yu is a loyal friend of Cao Cao's enemy Liu Bei so to persuade the peerless warrior to fight, Cao Cao takes his beloved Qi Lan hostage. After leading Cao Cao's forces to victory Guan Yu sets out with Qi Lan to rejoin Liu Bei. Now Cao Cao has deemed him too great a threat to live, and on the journey he must face all the forces at the Emperor's command sent to destroy him.


High Road to China
1983 · 1h 45m · HK
A biplane pilot is saddled with a spoiled industrialist's daughter on a search for her missing father through Asia that eventually involves them in a struggle against a Chinese warlord.


Eagle Shadow Fist
1973 · 1h 27m · HK
Historical movie set during the Japanese occupation of China during WWII. Jackie Chan is one of the good guys but has nothing much more than a supporting role.


Saving General Yang
2013 · 1h 42m · HK
When a rival nation sends troops to invade the Song Dynasty, the emperor sends general Yang Ye (Adam Cheng) to defend the nation. However, Yang's place in the court is shaky due to a feud with Pan Renmei caused by the accidental death of his son at the hands of one of Yang's sons. At the battle, Yang is abandoned by Pan's troops, leaving him trapped in the face of an attack by Yeli Yuan (Shao Bing), an enemy general who wants to kill Yang to avenge his father. After learning about their father's predicament, Yang Ye's seven sons set out to rescue their father at any cost.


The Heroic Ones
1970 · 2h 6m · HK
A Mogul king decides to take stealthy action to help overpower his greatest rivals. He chooses nine out thirteen of his loyal generals to embark on the mission. However, jealously amongst them sparks a treacherous family feud that could lead to catastrophic consequences for all involved.


The Guillotines
2012 · 1h 53m · CN
In the time of the Qing Dynasty, the Emperor Yongzheng created a secret army known as the Guillotines. It was the job of the Guillotines to protect the Emperor by killing anyone who posed a threat to him or his rule. After 348 successful missions to eliminate their target, the 349th assignment proves to be their last.


The Soong Sisters
1997 · 2h 25m · CN
Ai-ling married a wealthy and powerful businessman. Ching-ling married Sun Yat-sen, the revolutionary founder of modern China. Mei-ling married Chiang Kai-shek, China's leader during World War II. The sisters captured the world's fascination for their brilliant marriages and their strong influence on their nation.


Come Haunt with Me
1971 · 1h 45m · HK
Two traveling scholars meet a collection of ghosts, fox spirits, skeletons, and more in this supernatural romantic comedy. Some of the creatures are friendly and loving, while others only want to destroy the two men. The scholars fall in love and battle demons using their vague knowledge of ghost fighting techniques. An ancestor of later Hong Kong supernatural comedies like Mr. Vampire and Encounter of the Spooky Kind.


The New One-Armed Swordsman
1971 · 1h 42m · HK
Lei Li lost his right-arm in a sword duel with the master of a martial arts school, long ago. Now, he is able to defend himself well with just his left arm, and kung fu techniques. That he proves with just the help of his friend Chung-Chieng, when he crosses his path with a beautiful girl in need, Pao Chiao. Even against impossible odds, he will prove a great warrior.


Anita
2021 · 2h 16m · HK
This long-awaited biopic provides a vivid account of the remarkable life of Anita Mui in and behind the limelight, chronicling her journey from a child performer to becoming one of world's most recognized music icons.


The Amorous Lotus Pan
1994 · 1h 29m · HK
Helmed by the aesthetic Li Han-hsiang, The Amorous Lotus Pan features former Blue Jeans band member Shan Li-wen in a dual role as Wu Sung and Hsimen Ching. The reverse narrative tells the story of Wu Sung, who was pardoned from prison and seek the libidinous Pan Chin-lien (Huang Mei-tsing) to avenge his brother's death. The remorseful Pan recounted her pathetic life, which began when she was traded to the rich Changs as a maid. But she was raped by her master and flirted with Hsimen Ching and other gentleman callers


Black Sun: The Nanking Massacre
1995 · 1h 31m · HK
Black Sun: The Nanking Massacre depicts the brutal events behind the Nanking Massacre committed by the Imperial Japanese army against the Chinese people during the Second Sino-Japanese War.


The Crossing II
2015 · 2h 11m · CN
A story of three couples and their intertwining love stories set in 1940s Taiwan and Shanghai, centered around the 1949 sinking of Taiping.


Forever Enthralled
2008 · 2h 26m · CN
The epic story Mei Lanfang, who overcame the prejudice against artists in 1930s China to become the country's greatest opera star.


Leap
2020 · 2h 15m · CN
After 12 years, the Chinese women's volleyball team again reached the Olympic final. The ups and downs of the Chinese women's volleyball team for more than three decades have slowly spread away.
Hong Kong cinema's 1980s and 90s peak produced the most influential action filmmaking of the era — John Woo's gunplay ballets, Jackie Chan's stunt comedy, and the wire-work that Hollywood promptly absorbed. Wong Kar-wai's films run on a completely different and equally exported register.
Historical films reconstruct the past, whether faithfully or as deliberate myth-making. The genre attracts big budgets and big performances, and it reveals as much about the era that produced the film as the one on screen.