Shaolin Temple
Where ancient wisdom meets the ultimate test of martial discipline.
The Shaolin Temple (少林寺) is a 1982 martial arts film directed by Chang Hsin Yen and starring Jet Li in his debut role (credited as Jet Lee in the film) along with Ding Lan and Yu Hai in supporting roles. A Hong Kong-Chinese co-production, the film is based on the Shaolin Monastery in China and depicts Shaolin Kung Fu. It was among the first major co-productions between Hong Kong and mainland China, and the first to be filmed in mainland China with a mostly mainland cast. The film's plot has an episodic storytelling structure while combining action, comedy and romance elements.
Quick Facts
- Director
- Chang Hsin-yen
- Producer
- Liu Yet Yuen
- Writer
- Shih Hou; Lu Shau Chang
- Starring
- Jet Li
- Ding Lan
- Yu Hai
- Cinematography
- Lau Fung-lam; Chau Pak-ling
- Editing
- Wong Ting
- Ku Chi-wai
- Li Yuk-wai
- Chang Hsin-yen
- Studio
- Chung Yuen Motion Picture Company
- Released
- 21 January 1982
Lore & Background
The film is based on the Shaolin Monastery in China and depicts Shaolin Kung Fu. It was the first martial arts film to be made in mainland China after the founding of the People's Republic of China; up until then, kung fu films and wuxia films were mostly made in Hong Kong and Taiwan. It was also the first film to be shot at the Shaolin Monastery. The film's success established Jet Li as the first Mainland Chinese star of Hong Kong, and later Hollywood. It was also largely responsible for turning the Shaolin Monastery into a major tourist destination, both within China and internationally.
Reader's Guide
The film was produced on a budget of HK$1.6 million (US$264,000). During production, which took two years to film, Jet Li was reportedly paid only CN¥1 per day while filming. In China, it became the highest-grossing film of all time, grossing CN¥161,578,014 (US$85,376,199). The film reportedly sold more than 410 million tickets across China within its first six months of release, eventually selling an estimated total of 500 million tickets in China. In Hong Kong, the film sold 700,000 tickets, and grossed HK$16.16 million (US$2,662,310), making it the fourth top-grossing film of 1982 in Hong Kong. It became the highest-grossing film of all time in Singapore with a gross of S$1.7 million (US$794,000). In Japan, it was the fourth top-grossing film of 1982, with ¥1.65 billion in distributor rentals and a box office record of ¥4 billion in gross receipts, equivalent to HK$100 million (US$16.47 million) in gross revenue. In South Korea, the film sold 294,065 tickets in Seoul alone and set a box office record of ₩5.1 billion (US$6.57 million) grossed nationwide in 1983. This brings the film's total box office gross revenue to US$111,872,509 in East Asia. Adjusted for inflation at CN¥34.5 Chinese ticket prices in 2017, the film's adjusted gross revenue in China is estimated to be in the tens of billions of Chinese yuan (billions of US dollars) in 2017. The film spawned the Shaolin Temple series. Its sequel Shaolin Temple 2: Kids from Shaolin was released in 1984 and stars Jet Li in the lead role again. It sold an estimated 490 million tickets at the Chinese box office, making it 1984's highest-grossing film in China. The first two Shaolin Temple films combined sold an estimated 990 million tickets at the Chinese box office. Shaolin Temple 3: Martial Arts of Shaolin was released in 1986 and also stars Jet Li in the lead role. A remake of the original film, Shaolin, released in 2011, stars Andy Lau, Nicholas Tse and Jackie Chan.
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