A Chinese Ghost Story

An earnest young tax collector wanders into a ruined temple and finds his life upended by a woman who is not among the living. Bound by curiosity and honour, he becomes entangled with her strange world, where spirits linger and danger hides behind beauty. A seasoned Daoist swordsman steps in to guide him, turning a reckless mistake into a trial by fire. Together they face blurring boundaries between the mortal realm and the underworld, battling revenants and a menacing Tree Demon who guards forgotten secrets. As the danger escalates, the man must weigh duty, desire, and the price of love, learning that courage sometimes means stepping into the unknown, and that trust can transform peril into hope.

Released in 1987 in Hong Kong, the fantasy action was directed by Tony Ching Siu-Tung and built from traditional Chinese folklore with contributions from Yuen Kai-Chi. It carried a lean budget of about 1.25 million, a sign of careful planning and bold visuals.

Box office figures for A Chinese Ghost Story are not widely published. The film was a Hong Kong production that drew audiences domestically and contributed to the 80s surge of fantasy romance in cinema, both at home and in markets.

The film became a touchstone for Hong Kong fantasy cinema, blending lush visuals with romance and martial arts. It secured Leslie Cheung and Joey Wong as iconic on screen partners and influenced later genre blends.

Critics praised its imaginative staging and balance of humor with peril. Thematically it probes love beyond mortality, the lure of the supernatural, and the costs of crossing between worlds. It matches a lighthearted mood with suspense and showcases a vibrant display of effects and performances by its leads.