''Shaolin Temple'' is a

Shaw Brothers Shaw Brothers (HK) Ltd. () was the largest film production company in Hong Kong, and operated from 1925 to 2011. In 1925, three Shaw brothers— Runje, Runme, and Runde—founded Tianyi Film Company (also called "Unique") in Shangh ...

del 1975 film directed by

Chang Cheh Chang Cheh (; 10 February 1923 – 22 June 2002) was a Chinese people, Chinese filmmaker, screenwriter, lyricist and producer active in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Chang Cheh directed more than 90 films in Greater China, the majority of them wi ...

. It is one of the

Shaolin Temple Shaolin Monastery (少林寺 ''Shàolínsì''), also known as Shaolin Temple, is a renowned monastic institution recognized as the birthplace of Chan Buddhism and the cradle of Shaolin Kung Fu. It is located at the foot of Wuru Peak of the So ...

themed

martial arts film Martial arts films are a subgenre of action films that feature numerous martial arts combat between characters. These combats are usually the films' primary appeal and entertainment value, and often are a method of storytelling and character expres ...

s and concerns their rebellion against the Qings, with an all-star cast featuring the second and third generations of Chang Cheh's stable of actors including

David Chiang use both this parameter and , birth_date to display the person's date of birth, date of death, and age at death) --> , death_place = , death_cause = , body_discovered = , resting_place = , resting_place_coordinate ...

Ti Lung Ti Lung (born 19 August 1946) is a Hong Kong actor, known for his numerous starring roles in a string of Shaw Brothers Studio's films, particularly '' The Blood Brothers'', '' The Avenging Eagle'', ''Clans of Intrigue'', '' The Duel'', ''The Senti ...

Alexander Fu Sheng Alexander Fu Sheng () (born Cheung Fu-sheng (); 20 October 1954 – 7 July 1983), also known as Fu Sheng was a Hong Kong martial arts film star in the 1970s. Life and career Born Cheung Fu-sheng in British Hong Kong in 20 October 1954. He ...

and Chi Kuan Chun, as well as cameo appearances by several of the actors that would later become collectively known as the Venoms mob. The film serves as a pseudo prequel to ''

Five Shaolin Masters Five Shaolin Masters a.k.a. ''5 Masters Of Death'' (Chinese: 少林五祖) is a 1974 Shaw Brothers kung fu film directed by Chang Cheh, with action choreography by Lau Kar Leung and Lau Kar Wing. The film focuses on Shaolin's historic rivalri ...

''.

Plot

The film opens with the chief Shaolin Monks realizing that time is not on their side and they must train more fighters to fight the

Qing The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speaki ...

s. The monk Hai Hsien (Shan Mao) opposes this as he is secretly working for the court. Outside many men are sitting in front of the temple waiting to be accepted in, Fang Shih Yu (Alexander Fu Sheng), Ma Chao-hsing (Tony Liu) and others, as the temple tests the will of potential students by making them wait outside for days, eventually the two are accepted in for "training". Fang Shih Yu becomes frustrated immediately as Shaolin methods of teaching martial arts are rather obscure, although Ma Chao-hsing begins learning the five animal styles from the start. Elsewhere, escaped Ming soldiers Tsai Te-cheng (Ti Lung), Hu Te-ti (David Chiang), Yen Yung-chun (Szu Shih), and Ma Fu Yi (Wang Lung Wei) arrive close to Shaolin looking for a place to hide from the Qing. Hu Te-ti suggests they go to Shaolin and they are instantly accepted, which frustrates three more students trying to get acceptance into the temple, Lin Kwong Yao (Kuo Chui), Huang Sung Han (Lee I Min), and Hu Hui Chien (Kuan-Chun Chi). The three are eventually accepted and begin their obscure training. Tsai Te-cheng learns the

wing chun Wing Chun (Chinese: 詠春 or 咏春, lit. "singing spring"), sometimes spelled Ving Tsun, is a concept-based fighting art, form of Nanquan (martial art), Southern Chinese kung fu and close-quarters system of self-defense. In Mandarin, it is ...

style from a strange female monk and Hu Te-ti learns the iron whip. This forces Hai Hsein to secretly go to the court and report to Prince Hoo (Lu Feng) that Shaolin has been training new fighters. The Qing scheme to destroy Shaolin. Hai Hsein returns to Shaolin looking to recruit more traitors to set up the temple for a raid. All the accepted students become close friends and proficient in their kung fu, except for Fang Shih Yu (who is unknowingly learning tiger boxing but is impatient). He keeps getting into fights with Ma Fu Yi, who is disgruntled with being at Shaolin. A mysterious figure at night (perhaps his friend Ma Chao-sing) begins teaching Fang Shih Yu the tiger-crane style and he defeats Ma Fu Yi in a friendly spar. This sparks the curiosity of Hai Hsein as he takes Ma Fu Yi under his wing and recruits him as a traitor. Things begin to go sour at the temple due to the treachery of Hai Hsein and Ma Fu Yi and it is eventually attacked by thousands of Qing soldiers, and an all-out battle occurs at Shaolin Temple with only eight Shaolin devotees escaping the ensuing massacre.

Cast

– Hu Te-Ti *

– Tsai Te-Cheng *

Yueh Hua Yueh Hua (; 14 July 1942 – 20 October 2018) was a Shanghai-born Hong Kong actor, later based in Canada, with Shaw Brothers Studio and TVB. Yueh is one of the most versatile and prolific leading actors of Shaw Brothers. Yueh starred in five ...

– Li Se Kai * Wang Chung – Fang Ta Hung *

Tony Liu Tony Liu Tian-jue (born 7 February 1952) is a Hong Kong actor and martial artist. He is often credited by his Cantonese stage name Lau Wing. Liu is best known for starring in many Hong Kong martial arts films, especially in the 1970s and 1980s ...

– Ma Chao-Hsing * Wang Lung Wei – Ma Fu Yi *

– Fang Shih-Yu (

Fong Sai-yuk Fong Sai-yuk (or Fang Shiyu) is a semi-fictional Chinese martial artist and folk hero from Zhaoqing City, Guangdong Province of the Qing dynasty. Fong was also associated with Hung Hei-gun and the Five Elders of the Southern Shaolin Mona ...

) * Kuan Chun Chi – Hu Hui Chien * Frankie Wei Hung – Hung Hsi-Kuan *

Kuo Chui Philip Kwok (; also known as Kuo Chui, Kwok Chui, Kwok Chun-Fung; born 21 October 1951) is a Hong Kong-based Taiwanese actor, martial artist, and stuntman. He rose to fame as a member of the Venom Mob, an ensemble of highly-talented martial ...

– Lin Kwong-Yao * Lee Yi-Min – Huang Sung Han * Tang Yen-Tsan – Chu Tao * Shan Mao – Shaolin monk Hai Hsein *

Chiang Sheng Chiang Sheng was a martial arts actor, one of the ''Venom Mob'', renowned for their acrobatic and martial arts skills. He joined the ''Chang Cheh's Cohorts'' as an actor, and also worked with Chang Cheh as an assistant director and choreographer. ...

– Shaolin monk Man Yue *

Shih Szu Shih Szu (; born October 24, 1953) is an actress from Taoyuan, Taiwan. She was born Lei Qui Si (雷秋思) to parents from Hunan Province. A ballet student from the age of six, at the age of sixteen she joined Shaw Brothers Studio after seconda ...

– Yen Yung-Chun *

Ku Feng Chan Sze-man (born 3 July 1930), better known by his stage name Ku Feng, is a Hong Kong actor. Background He studied in Beijing, and has appeared in hundreds of films, many of which were produced by the Shaw Brothers Studio Shaw Brothers ( ...

– King Man Kuei *

Lu Feng Lu Feng (; born 12 November 1981 in Luoyang) is a former Chinese professional footballer who played as a midfielder, he spent the majority of his playing career at Henan Jianye, led them to 2 promotions to Chinese Super League in 2006 and 2013 ...

– General Hu Pei-Chi * Tsai Hung – General Ching * Wong Ching – General Shin *

Lo Mang Lo Mang is a Hong Kong martial artist and actor who was born as Lo Kwan Lam in Hong Kong on 23 July 1952. Primarily known for starring in ''Shaw Brothers'' kung fu movies during the latter part of the 1970s and into the 1980s. He is a member of ...

– Junior monk * Wei Pai – Junior monk (slain by Manchu archers)

References

External links

* * {{Chang Cheh 1976 films 1976 action films 1976 martial arts films Films directed by Chang Cheh Films set in 18th-century Qing dynasty Hong Kong action films Hong Kong martial arts films Kung fu films 1970s Mandarin-language films Prequel films Shaw Brothers Studio films Hong Kong prequel films 1970s Hong Kong films