Once Upon a Time in China

Конец девятнадцатого столетия. Китайцы пытаются бороться всеми доступными им средствами с расширением американского влияния, решительно восстают против наглого грабежа и похищения людей. Но находятся и такие, которым чужестранная мода, традиции и культура пришлись на руку в их темных делишках. Народный герой Китая Вонг пытается защитить девушку, которую предприимчивый барыга - китаец продал на Запад в бордель.

The film is set in Foshan, China sometime in the late 19th century during the Qing dynasty. Liu Yongfu, the commander of the Black Flag Army, invites Wong Fei-hung on board his ship to watch a lion dance. Some sailors on board a nearby French ship hear the sound of firecrackers and mistakenly think that Liu's ship is opening fire at them, so they return fire and injure the dancers. Wong picks up the lion head and finishes the performance. Liu comments about the perilous situation China is in, and then gives Wong a hand fan inscribed with all the Unequal treaty signed between China and other countries.

Em 1875 estrangeiros ameaçam a soberania da China e exploram os habitantes no comércio de ópio, além de vender chineses como escravos para os Estados Unidos. O lendário lutador de kung fu Wong Fei Hung (Jet Li) é instruído pelo líder local para defender a região, mas acaba preso e vê sua namorada, Tia Yee (Rosamund Kwan), ser transformada em prostituta. Finalmente libertado, ele contará com a ajuda dos alunos de sua academia de artes marciais para derrotar os invasores e defender seu povo.