
Directing
Li Han-Hsiang
Born — Died
1926-04-23 — 1996-12-17
Place of birth
中国, 辽宁
Known for
Directing
Credits
48 titles
Richard Li Han Hsiang (Chinese: 李翰祥; pinyin: Lǐ Hànxiáng; 7 March 1926 in Jinxi, Liaoning - 17 December 1996 in Beijing) was a Chinese film director. Li directed more than 70 films in his career beginning in the 1950s and lasting till the 1990s. His The Enchanting Shadow, The Magnificent Concubine, and Empress Wu Tse-Tien were entered into the Cannes Film Festival in 1960, 1962, and 1963 respectively. Li also won the Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards for his work on the movie Xi Shi in 1965. Most of his movies in the 1970s and 1980s were Chinese historical dramas. He died in Beijing due to a heart attack. He was seventy.
Known for
9.0The Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards (Chinese: 台北金馬影展; pinyin: Táiběi Jīnmǎ Yǐngzhǎn; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tâi-pak Kim-má iáⁿ-tián) is a film festival and awards ceremony held annually in Taiwan. It was founded in 1962 by the Government Information Office of the Republic of China (ROC) in Taiwan. The awards ceremony is usually held in November or December in Taipei, although the event has also been held in other locations in Taiwan in recent times
Golden Horse Awards
1962
7.0Golden Lotus is based, in part, on Jin Ping Mei, a famous erotic novel of ancient China. Li Han-Hsiang adapted part of the story into this film, which starts with Hsi Men Ching, a successful merchant, wooing Pan Chin Lien, the beautiful wife of one of the townspeople.
The Golden Lotus
1974
6.6A corrupt local official, Xi Men Qing, who lusts after women and money, pursues his brother's young wife, Lee Ping Er. Ping finds Men attractive, and under her drunken husband's nose, she and Men work their way through the illustrations of a pillow book, the "Golden Lotus." Men pursues the same feat with his fourth concubine, Pan Jing Lien, who lives in the compound next to Ping. Jing's jealousy compounds a tale of humiliation, childbirth, death, and depravity. Does karma or enlightenment await anyone?
The Golden Lotus: Love and Desire
1991
7.4No synopsis available yet.
Reign Behind a Curtain
1983
6.6Dramatization of events from the Second Opium War which culminated in the looting and destruction of imperial estate "Yuan Ming Yuan", AKA the Old Summer Palace by invading English and French troops.
The Burning of the Imperial Palace
1983
NRA Shaw Brothers film from 1959
The Adventure of the 13th Sister
1959
Film credits
1950s · 5 titles
10.0Loosely based on Charlotte Bronte's novel Jane Eyre.
The Orphan Girl
1956
9.01952 HK crime film.
The Dog-Murderer
1957
NRAn early Musical by the Hsin Hwa Motion Picture Company.
The Moon-Blanch'd Land
1952
NRThe film tells the story of a woman who grew up in China's warlord era and suffered from war and love failure.
A Moment of Bliss
1952
An early Drama by the Daai Wa (Da Hua) Film Company
Happy Encounter
1952
Series credits
Behind the camera
7.0Golden Lotus is based, in part, on Jin Ping Mei, a famous erotic novel of ancient China. Li Han-Hsiang adapted part of the story into this film, which starts with Hsi Men Ching, a successful merchant, wooing Pan Chin Lien, the beautiful wife of one of the townspeople.
The Golden Lotus
1974
7.0Golden Lotus is based, in part, on Jin Ping Mei, a famous erotic novel of ancient China. Li Han-Hsiang adapted part of the story into this film, which starts with Hsi Men Ching, a successful merchant, wooing Pan Chin Lien, the beautiful wife of one of the townspeople.
The Golden Lotus
1974
6.6A corrupt local official, Xi Men Qing, who lusts after women and money, pursues his brother's young wife, Lee Ping Er. Ping finds Men attractive, and under her drunken husband's nose, she and Men work their way through the illustrations of a pillow book, the "Golden Lotus." Men pursues the same feat with his fourth concubine, Pan Jing Lien, who lives in the compound next to Ping. Jing's jealousy compounds a tale of humiliation, childbirth, death, and depravity. Does karma or enlightenment await anyone?
The Golden Lotus: Love and Desire
1991
6.6A corrupt local official, Xi Men Qing, who lusts after women and money, pursues his brother's young wife, Lee Ping Er. Ping finds Men attractive, and under her drunken husband's nose, she and Men work their way through the illustrations of a pillow book, the "Golden Lotus." Men pursues the same feat with his fourth concubine, Pan Jing Lien, who lives in the compound next to Ping. Jing's jealousy compounds a tale of humiliation, childbirth, death, and depravity. Does karma or enlightenment await anyone?
The Golden Lotus: Love and Desire
1991
7.4No synopsis available yet.
Reign Behind a Curtain
1983
7.4No synopsis available yet.
Reign Behind a Curtain
1983
6.6Dramatization of events from the Second Opium War which culminated in the looting and destruction of imperial estate "Yuan Ming Yuan", AKA the Old Summer Palace by invading English and French troops.
The Burning of the Imperial Palace
1983
6.6Dramatization of events from the Second Opium War which culminated in the looting and destruction of imperial estate "Yuan Ming Yuan", AKA the Old Summer Palace by invading English and French troops.
The Burning of the Imperial Palace
1983
6.6Dramatization of events from the Second Opium War which culminated in the looting and destruction of imperial estate "Yuan Ming Yuan", AKA the Old Summer Palace by invading English and French troops.
The Burning of the Imperial Palace
1983
NRA Shaw Brothers film from 1959
The Adventure of the 13th Sister
1959
4.2Sin Pal and Hei Sin Lam star in this erotically charged film about two women who are both driven into a life of prostitution but for very different reasons. The first story involves a husband who punishes his wife for cheating; in the other story, a teenager must escape a strange betrothal to an 8-year-old boy.
Madame Bamboo
1991
4.2Sin Pal and Hei Sin Lam star in this erotically charged film about two women who are both driven into a life of prostitution but for very different reasons. The first story involves a husband who punishes his wife for cheating; in the other story, a teenager must escape a strange betrothal to an 8-year-old boy.
Madame Bamboo
1991
5.6Tang Dynasty emperors, Ming Dynasty scholars, assorted fortunetellers, and several Buddhist monks figure in a trio of erotic and mystical Chinese legends.
Illicit Desire
1973
5.6Tang Dynasty emperors, Ming Dynasty scholars, assorted fortunetellers, and several Buddhist monks figure in a trio of erotic and mystical Chinese legends.
Illicit Desire
1973
5.6Helmed 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
The Amorous Lotus Pan
1994
5.6Helmed 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
The Amorous Lotus Pan
1994
7.2This story is centering around a Ming Dynasty brothel that steams with secret erotic myths, trysts and twists of pleasurable indulgence. A shaw production
Facets of Love
1973
7.2This story is centering around a Ming Dynasty brothel that steams with secret erotic myths, trysts and twists of pleasurable indulgence. A shaw production
Facets of Love
1973
8.0Early Shaw Brothers crime film
Love Letter Murder
1959
4.7Two stories are included in this erotic/romantic anthology. In the first, a Sung-Dynasty (10th-13th century) Buddhist monk is tricked into sexual relations with an unscrupulous female adventurer. He dies soon after with his misdeed on his conscience. In the second, the daughter of a woman who died in a brothel discovers that her mother died an unnatural death and seeks revenge.
Moods of Love
1977
4.7Two stories are included in this erotic/romantic anthology. In the first, a Sung-Dynasty (10th-13th century) Buddhist monk is tricked into sexual relations with an unscrupulous female adventurer. He dies soon after with his misdeed on his conscience. In the second, the daughter of a woman who died in a brothel discovers that her mother died an unnatural death and seeks revenge.
Moods of Love
1977
NRLi Han-Hsiang's last film.
Lover's Lover
1994
NRThe period musical shot in 1970 and original titled "四季花開", was banned by Taiwan after someone reported it was based on a mainland China film. The film was later re-titled and changed all the signing lyrics to be allowed to be screened in Taiwan once.
Reminiscence
1974
7.0Hong Kong comedy directed by Li Han-Hsiang.
Cheat to Cheat
1973
7.0Hong Kong comedy directed by Li Han-Hsiang.
Cheat to Cheat
1973
6.6Pao-yu is in love with his cousin, Lin Tai-yu, but his family has other marital plans for him that will leave both broken-hearted.
The Dream of the Red Chamber
1977
6.6Pao-yu is in love with his cousin, Lin Tai-yu, but his family has other marital plans for him that will leave both broken-hearted.
The Dream of the Red Chamber
1977
8.0This dragon lady of the Ching Dynasty was the power behind the throne for 50 years, and hew vast tapestry of palace intrigues is vividly brought to the screen in this memorable epic.
The Empress Dowager
1975
8.0This dragon lady of the Ching Dynasty was the power behind the throne for 50 years, and hew vast tapestry of palace intrigues is vividly brought to the screen in this memorable epic.
The Empress Dowager
1975
6.4Despite Kuang Hsu's enthronement as the last reigning Emperor of China, his ability to rule effectively is overshadowed by the ever-present power of the Dowager Empress.
The Last Tempest
1976
6.4Despite Kuang Hsu's enthronement as the last reigning Emperor of China, his ability to rule effectively is overshadowed by the ever-present power of the Dowager Empress.
The Last Tempest
1976
4.8Sensual Pleasures features a collection of three, ghost story, sexual vignettes starring a viscerally sensual trio of hardcore experience with the well endowed Chen Ping, Chinese adult film legend Shirley Yu and the innocent doe-eyed Shaw Yin-yin.
Sensual Pleasures
1978
4.8Sensual Pleasures features a collection of three, ghost story, sexual vignettes starring a viscerally sensual trio of hardcore experience with the well endowed Chen Ping, Chinese adult film legend Shirley Yu and the innocent doe-eyed Shaw Yin-yin.
Sensual Pleasures
1978
7.5Emperor Chien Lung uses disguises to experience life among his subjects.
The Adventures of Emperor Chien Lung
1977
7.5Emperor Chien Lung uses disguises to experience life among his subjects.
The Adventures of Emperor Chien Lung
1977
6.4No list of the screen's comic geniuses would be complete without Michael Hui Kwun-man. He created a hilarious and lovable comic persona that was both uniquely Asian but also universally beloved. This, his first film, not only showcased his incomparable sense of humor but revolutionized Hong Kong comedy. Evoking Chaplin, he plays a warlord in early 20th Century China, but makes the role his own with both laughs and some of the sexiest ladies on the Shaw Brothers lot.
The Warlord
1972
6.4No list of the screen's comic geniuses would be complete without Michael Hui Kwun-man. He created a hilarious and lovable comic persona that was both uniquely Asian but also universally beloved. This, his first film, not only showcased his incomparable sense of humor but revolutionized Hong Kong comedy. Evoking Chaplin, he plays a warlord in early 20th Century China, but makes the role his own with both laughs and some of the sexiest ladies on the Shaw Brothers lot.
The Warlord
1972
7.1In the 18th century, Emperor Chien Lung makes a journey into Southern China.
The Voyage of Emperor Chien Lung
1978
7.1In the 18th century, Emperor Chien Lung makes a journey into Southern China.
The Voyage of Emperor Chien Lung
1978
6.8Directed by some of most well known Chinese-language directors of the time, the portmanteau film Four Moods was an attempt to alleviate Li Han-hsiang’s financial troubles during the late 1960s. Arguably one of his best works, King Hu’s short Anger is an adaptation of the famous Peking opera San Cha Kou; set to opera instrumentation and stylishly shot, the film deftly captures the tense showdown between political schemers, avengers and vagabonds inside an inn. Li Han-hsiang’s Happiness, inspired by the Strange Tales of Liaozhai, tells a tale of reprieve for a kind-hearted ghost, while Pai Ching-Jui’s Joy and Lee Hsing’s Sadness both explore the fateful encounters between mortal men and ghostly women.
Four Moods
1970


