"A Chinese Ghost Story" was re-released in 4K on the Chinese mainland on March 21, 38 years after it first premiered in Hong Kong.

A movie poster for "A Chinese Ghost Story" is displayed at a hauntingly decorated cinema in Beijing, March 19, 2025. [Photo/China.org.cn]

The 1987 film, directed by Ching Siu-tung and produced by Tsui Hark, stars two of Hong Kong's most iconic figures of the time, Leslie Cheung and Joey Wong. It tells the story of Ning Caichen (Cheung), a humble tax collector who falls in love with the ghost Nie Xiaoqian (Wong). Knowing she is enslaved by a cruel tree demon, Ning sets out to save her with the help of Yan Chixia (Wu Ma), a Taoist warrior.

The film is loosely based on the story of Nie Xiaoqian from Qing dynasty writer Pu Songling's "Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio" and draws inspiration from the 1960 Shaw Brothers Studio film "The Enchanting Shadow," directed by Li Han-hsiang. Ching's version spawned two sequels and numerous adaptations and remakes.

Combining romance, fantasy, martial arts, horror and enduring music, "A Chinese Ghost Story" enjoyed immense popularity in Hong Kong and across Asia, including in South Korea and Japan. Over the years, it has become a timeless classic and a cult favorite. It was ranked 50th on the "Best 100 Chinese Motion Pictures" list, an honor presented at the 24th Hong Kong Film Awards in 2005 to celebrate the centennial of Chinese cinema.

Although "A Chinese Ghost Story" wasn't released on the Chinese mainland in 1987, it gained widespread popularity among young people, especially those born in the 1980s, via videocassettes, VCDs, DVDs, downloads and video-sharing sites over the years. The film received broad acclaim, earning a score of 8.8 out of 10 on China's review site Douban based on nearly 800,000 user reviews. Its remastered version finally premiered in mainland theaters in 2011 as a tribute to the late pop icon Leslie Cheung.

Cheung's fans attended preview screenings for the film's latest re-release in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou on Wednesday evening. The 4K re-release serves as both a memorial event ahead of Cheung's death anniversary on April 1 and an opportunity to highlight Eastern aesthetics and cinematic charm on the big screen, according to distributors.

A performer poses for a photo in front of an installation mirroring a set from "A Chinese Ghost Story," displayed at a hauntingly decorated cinema in Beijing, March 19, 2025. [Photo/China.org.cn]

Over time, the film's other major stars have stepped back from the spotlight, leaving no chance for a reunion and fueling nostalgia among fans. Joey Wong, who has retired from acting, now lives privately in Canada, with recent reports indicating she has started a new moxibustion clinic. Wu Ma, another prominent actor in the film, passed away at age 71 due to lung cancer in 2014.

"A Chinese Ghost Story" isn't the only film being re-released. Distributors have also announced that the Hollywood action blockbuster "Furious 7" and China's street dance drama "One and Only" will return to theaters in April. These re-releases offer audiences a chance to revisit classics while filling a current content gap in the Chinese film market.