List of Chinese films before 1930

This is a list of the earliest films produced and released before 1930 during the Qing Dynasty and Republican China, ordered by year of release.

For an alphabetical listing of Chinese films see Category:Chinese films.

1905-1929[]

Title	Chinese Title	Director	Actors	Genre	Notability
1905
Dingjun Mountain	定軍山		Tan Xinpei	Historical Drama	This recording of a Beijing opera performance constitutes the first Chinese film ever made
1913
The Difficult Couple	難夫難妻	Zhang Shichuan, Zheng Zhengqiu		Short	First Chinese short feature film
1917
	黑籍冤魂	Zhang Shichuan,		Drama/Social Criticism	Based on a novel by Wu Jianren
1921
	閻瑞生	Ren Pengnian		Docudrama	First full-length Chinese film, a dramatized recreation of a 1920 Shanghai murder case
1922
Laborer's Love	勞工之愛情	Zhang Shichuan		Silent	Earliest surviving complete film^[1]^[2]
An Empty Dream^[3]	?	Ren Pengnian	?	Wuxia
	海誓	Dan Duyu	Yin Mingzhu	Drama
	紅粉骷髏			Action/Crime	One of the earliest Chinese films with extensive martial arts scenes.
	張欣生	Zhang Shichuan		Crime	Early Mingxing Film Company production based on a real-life patricidal case.^[4]
1923
	清虛夢	Ren Pengnian		Short	Adapted from a short story in Pu Songling's Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio
	孝婦羹	Ren Pengnian		Drama	Adapted from a short story in Pu Songling's Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio
	蓮花落	Ren Pengnian	Zhang Huichong	Drama	Adapted from a classic Chinese opera
	孤兒救祖記	Zhang Shichuan	, ,	Drama	First major success by Mingxing^[4]
	鬆柏緣	Ren Pengnian	,	Drama
	古井重波記	Dan Duyu		Drama
1924
	棄兒	Dan Duyu		Drama	Adaptation of Shakespeare's "Oliver Twist"^{[clarification needed]}
	水火鴛鴦	Cheng Bugao		Romance	Cast consisted of child actors, averaging about 10 years of age
	俠義少年			Crime	Alternate title: A Chivalrous Youth
	好兄弟	Ren Pengnian	Zhang Huichong	Drama
	棄婦	Li Zeyuan Hou Yao		Drama	Tragedy advocating greater rights for women
	誘婚	Zhang Shichuan	Zheng Zhengqiu, Maxu Weibang, Yang Naimei	Drama	Alternate title: Love and Vanity
	愛國傘	Ren Pengnian	Zhang Huichong	Action/Crime
	苦儿弱女	Zhang Shichuan	Yang Naimei	Drama
	人心	,	, Zhang Zhiyun,	Romance	Alternate title: Human Feelings
	大義滅親	Ren Pengnian		Drama	Alternate title: The Edge of Chivalry
	玉梨魂	Zhang Shichuan	Yang Naimei	Drama/Social Criticism	Adapted from a novel by , an early plea for increased rights for women.
	采茶女		Yang Naimei	Romance
	孽海潮			Crime
	弟弟	Dan Duyu		Drama
1925
	盲孤女	Zhang Shichuan	Xuan Jinglin	Drama
	情天劫	Ren Pengnian		Drama
	情海風波	Zhang Huichong	Zhang Huichong	Crime/Action
	人面桃花	Chen Shouyin		Romance
	可憐的閨女	Zhang Shichuan	Zhang Zhiyun	Drama
	上海一婦人	Zhang Shichuan	Xuan Jinglin Maxu Weibang	Drama
	一串珍珠	Li Zeyuan		Drama	Adaptation of Maupassant's "The Necklace"
	苦學生			Drama
	覺悟			Drama
	戰功		Zhang Zhiyun	War/Romance
	摘星之女	Li Zeyuan		Romance
	愛伸的玩偶	Hou Yao		Drama
	南华梦		Jiang Naifang	Drama	Alternate title: South China Dream
	南华梦		Jiang Naifang	Drama	Alternate title: South China Dream
	醉鄉遺恨			Drama
	好哥哥	Zhang Shichuan	Yang Naimei	Drama
	女俠李飛飛	Shao Zuiweng		Action/Romance
	最后之良心	Zhang Shichuan	Xuan Jinglin	Drama
	小朋友	Zhang Shichuan	Xuan Jinglin	Drama	Based on the novel Sans Famille by Hector Malot
	劫后緣	Zhang Huichong	Zhang Huichong	Action	Alternate title: Lovers From a Den of Thieves
	前情	Zhu Shouju		Drama
	春閨夢裡人	Li Zeyuan		War
	立地成佛	Shao Zuiweng		Drama
	重返故鄉	Dan Duyu	Yin Mingzhu	Morality Play	Alternate title: Returning Home
The Stormy Night	風雨之夜	Zhu Shouju		Comedy
	沙場淚	Cheng Bugao		War/Romance
	花好月圓		Li Pingqian	Romance	Alternate title: Conjugal Bliss
	真愛	Chen Tian		Tragedy
	不堪回首		Li Pingqian	Drama
	情弦變音記			Drama
	誰是母親			Drama	Based on Le Fils Naturel by Alexandre Dumas, fils
	楊花恨	Shi Dongshan	Wang Naidong		Alternate title: Catkins
	小廠主	Lu Jie		Drama
		Dan Duyu		Drama	Adapted from Little Lord Fauntleroy by Frances Hodgson Burnett
	馮大少爺	Hong Shen			Alternate title: The Playboy
1926
	夫妻之秘密	Shao Zuiweng	Hu Die
	多情的女伶	Zhang Shichuan	Xuan Jinglin	Drama
Better Go Home	不如歸			War	Adapted from a novel by Tokutomi Roka
	傳家寶	Dan Duyu	Yin Mingzhu	Mystery
	地獄天堂
	孟姜女	Shao Zuiweng	Hu Die		Dramatization of a famous folk tale
	同居之愛	Shi Dongshan
Love and Gold	愛情與黃金	Zhang Shichuan Hong Shen	Hong Shen	Drama
	情場怪人	Ma-Xu Weibang			Alternate title: Monster in Love.
	呆中福	Zhu Shouju		Comedy	One of Chinese cinema's first full-length comedies, adapted from a Kunqu opera
Midnight Lovers	半夜情人			Drama
	道義之交			Drama
Mother's Happiness	兒孫福	Shi Dongshan		Drama
	電影女明星	Shao Zuiweng	Hu Die	Drama
	空谷蘭	Zhang Shichuan	Zhang Zhiyun, Yang Naimei,	Drama	Released in two parts. Based on the 1900 Japanese novel "No no Hana" (Wildflower) by Kuroiwa Ruikō.
	珍珠塔	Shao Zuiweng	Hu Die	Romance	Adapted from a classic Qing dynasty novel
	倡門之子			Drama
The Rich Man's Daughter	富人之女	Zhang Shichuan	Xuan Jinglin	Drama
	奪國寶	Zhang Huichong	Zhang Huichong	Action
	窗前足影
	上海三女子		Yang Naimei Jiang Naifang		Alternate title: Shanghai Three Women
Uproar in the Studio	大鬧畫室	Wan brothers		Animation	First Chinese animated short
	白蛇傳	Shao Zuiweng	Hu Die	Action/Fantasy	Tianyi Film Company production and a significant overseas success in Southeast Asia^[4]
	玉潔冰清	Bu Wancang	Zhang Zhiyun	Drama
	工人之妻	Ren Pengnian		Romance
1927
	二八佳人	Zheng Zhengqiu		Drama
	女兒國	Li Pingqian	Hu Die		Based on a section of Journey to the West
	挂名的夫妻	Bu Wancang	Ruan Lingyu		Mingxing Film Company production. Ruan Lingyu's movie debut.
	一仇箭		Yang Aili	Action	Based on a story in Water Margin
	浪女窮途		Yang Aili	Drama
	白芙蓉	Chen Tian		Action/Romance
	美人計	Zhu Shouju, et al.	Zhang Zhiyun		Based on two chapters in Romance of the Three Kingdoms
	海角詩人	Hou Yao	Li Dandan Hou Yao Lim Cho Cho	Drama
The Cave of the Silken Web	盤絲洞	Dan Duyu	Yin Mingzhu	Silent. Shenmo	Thought to be lost. Rediscovered in 2013.
	紅樓夢	Ren Pengnian	Wen Yimin	Drama
	梅花落	Zhang Shichuan Zheng Zhengqiu	Zhang Zhiyun Xuan Jinglin	Drama	Released in three parts
	唐伯虎點秋香	Shao Zuiweng	Chen Yumei	Comedy
For Her Father's Sake	為親犧牲	Zhang Shichuan	Zhang Zhiyuan	Drama
	薛仁貴征西			Action	Released in two parts
	大俠白毛腿		Hu Die
	兒女英雄	Wen Yimin	Wen Yimin	Action	First of a five-part series
	實業大王			Drama	Adapted from Les Misérables
	夜明珠	Chen Tian		Action/Crime
	山東馬永貞	Zhang Shichuan	Zhang Huichong	Action	Remade in 1972 as Boxer from Shantung
	華麗緣	Chen Tian		Action	Alternate title: Reunited
	車遲國唐僧斗法	Zhang Shichuan			Adapted from Journey to the West
	桃李爭春			Romantic Comedy
	月老離婚	Hou Yao		Romantic Comedy
	可憐的秋香			Romance
	鐵扇公主	Li Pingqian	Hu Die Chen Yumei		Based on the novel Journey to the West
	真假千金	Zhang Shichuan	Xuan Jinglin
	再造共和			War
	俠鳳奇緣	Zhang Shichuan	Yang Naimei
	烏盆記	Zhu Shouju		Crime	First film made about real-life Chinese magistrate Judge Bao
	復活的玫瑰	Li Minwei	Lim Cho Cho Li Minwei	Drama
Romance of the Western Chamber	西廂記	Hou Yao			Adaption of the classic Chinese dramatic work by Wang Shifu
		Cheng Bugao		Drama
	山東響馬			Action
	湖邊春夢	Bu Wancang	Yang Naimei	Drama
	血淚碑	Zheng Zhengqiu	Ruan Lingyu	Tragedy
Tian Qilang	田七郎	Zhang Shichuan	Zhang Huichong
	天涯歌女	Ouyang Yuqian	Li Dandan	Tragedy
	女律師		Hu Die	Drama	Adapted from The Merchant of Venice
	楊貴妃	Dan Duyu		Drama	Story of legendary imperial concubine Yang Guifei
1928
	柳暗花明	Lu Jie		Drama	Released in two parts
	夜光珠	Shao Zuiweng	Chen Yumei	Crime
	上海一舞女		Wang Naidong	Drama
	奮斗的婚姻	Cheng Bugao	Hu Die
	海外奇緣	Chen Tian		Action/Adventure
	小偵探	Bu Wancang		Crime
	熱血鴛鴦			Romance
	美人關	Bu Wancang	Yang Naimei	War
	意中人			Romance
Burning of the Red Lotus Temple	火燒紅蓮寺	Zheng Zhengqiu (pt.1) Zhang Shichuan (pts.2-19)	Hu Die	Action	19 parts, adapted from a martial arts novel by
	紅樓夢		Yin Mingzhu	Drama
	妖光俠影		Yang Aili	Action	Adapted from a section of Journey to the West
	荒唐劍客			Action
	五女復仇		Lim Cho Cho Li Dandan	Crime
	航空大俠	Chen Tian		Action/Adventure
	飛行鞋				Adapted from a German children's story
	王氏四俠	Shi Dongshan		Action
	女偵探	Zhang Shichuan	Hu Die	Crime
	大俠復仇記	Zhang Shichuan	Hu Die	Action	Remade in Hong Kong in 1949
	觀音得道		Lim Cho Cho Li Dandan		The Miao Shan legend version of Guanyin
	江湖情俠	Wen Yimin	Wen Yimin	Action	Alternate title: "Jianghu Lovers"
	泣荊花		Wen Yimin
	大俠甘風池		Yang Aili	Action
	黑衣女俠	Zheng Zhengqiu Cheng Bugao		Action
	侠女救夫人	Zheng Zhengqiu	Hu Die	Action
	北京楊貴妃	Zheng Zhengqiu	Yang Naimei Ruan Lingyu	Drama	The Yang Guifei story, retold in a modern setting
	就是我	Zhu Shouju	Wang Naidong	Crime
	一腳踢出去	Zhang Shichuan Hong Shen		Romance	First Chinese film having sports as a background. Alternate title: "Classmates' Romance"
	金錢之王			Crime
Luoyang Bridge	蔡狀元建造洛陽橋	Zhang Shichuan	Ruan Lingyu		Adapted from the classical opera "Number One Scholar Cai Builds the Luoyang Bridge", the story of early structural engineer Cai Xiang
	馬振華	Zhu Shouju		Drama
	二度梅	Zhu Shouju		Historical Drama
			Yang Aili
Mulan Joins the Army	木蘭從軍	Hou Yao	Li Dandan	War

		Ren Pengnian		Action
	愛國魂			Drama	One of China's first "Resistance films", urging opposition to Japanese encroachment on Chinese territory.
	在世姻緣		Lim Cho Cho Li Dandan	Drama
	盧鬢花	Dan Duyu		Action	Story of the legendary folk hero, transplanted to China. Alternate title: "The Small Swordsman" (小劍客)
	盧鬢花 (續集)	Dan Duyu		Action	Sequel. Alternate title: "The Towering Demon" (萬丈魔)
	戰地情天	Li Minwei		War/Romance
	清宮秘史			Historical Drama
	古宮魔影				Adapted from an episode in Journey to the West
	花國大總統		Yang Naimei
	銀槍盜			Crime	Alternate title: "Who But Myself Can Do It?"
	蜘蛛黨			Crime
	漁叉怪俠	Sun Yu	Yan Yuexian	Action
	奇女子	Shi Dongshan	Yang Naimei
	真假孫行者	Li Zeyuan			Adapted from a section of Journey to the West
	雙劍俠			Action
	黃天霸招親			Drama
	白雲塔	Zheng Zhengqiu	Hu Die Ruan Lingyu	Drama	Released in two parts
	武鬆血濺鴛鴦樓			Action	Based on a story in Water Margin
	少奶奶的扇子	Hong Shen, Zhang Shichuan	Xuan Jinglin		Adapted from Lady Windermere's Fan by Oscar Wilde
1929
	聰明笨伯			Comedy
	雙雄斗劍	Shi Dongshan	Ma-Xu Weibang	Action
	女盜蘭姑娘			Crime/Action
	理想中的英雄			Action/Adventure
	奇俠救國記			Action/Romance
	情欲寶鑑	Li Pingqian	Ruan Lingyu	Drama
	劫后孤鴻	Li Pingqian	Ruan Lingyu Li Pingqian	Tragedy
	女伶復仇記	Bu Wancang		Drama	Alternate title: Blind Love
	塵海奇俠			Action/Romance
	雪中孤雛			Drama/Action
	刀下美人	Zheng Zhengqiu		Drama
	愛人的血	Cheng Bugao	Hu Die	Drama
	黑貓			Action
	火燒七星樓		Qian Siying	Action	First of a five-part series, released 1929-30.
	糖美人			Drama
	駱駝王
	五十五號偵探			Crime
	偵探之妻			Crime
	混世魔王	Ma-Xu Weibang	Ma-Xu Weibang	Horror
	金剛鑽	Dan Duyu	Yin Mingzhu	Adventure
	離婚	Cheng Bugao	Hu Die	Drama	Adapted from the novel of the same name by Lao She. Remade in 1992.
	同心劫	Bu Wancang
			Yan Yuexian Yang Aili	Action/Romance
	虎口余生			Action
	荒唐將軍	Shi Dongshan	Chen Yumei	Action	Alternate title: The River Hero Stabs the Tiger
	銀幕之花		Ruan Lingyu	Tragedy
	飛俠呂三娘			Action
	王氏四俠 (續集)		Jin Yan	Action	Sequel to the 1928 film of the same title
	無敵英雄	Shao Zuiweng	Zhang Huichong	Action
	半夜飛頭記			Action
	火裡英雄			Action	Alternate title: Fireman
	紅俠	Wen Yimin	Wen Yimin	Action
	熱血男兒		Yang Aili	Romance	Alternate title: Her Love
Don't Change Your Husband	情海重吻
	富人的生活	Cheng Bugao	Hu Die	Drama
					Alternate title: The Frame-Up
	兒子英雄			Action/Adventure	Alternate title: Poor Daddy. Oldest surviving full-length Chinese film.
	恐怖之夜			Suspense
	爸爸愛媽媽	Cheng Bugao	Hu Die	Drama
		Li Pingqian	Ruan Lingyu	Drama
	小霸王張沖	Zhang Huichong	Zhang Huichong		Released in two parts
	海上霸王			Action
	懺悔	Zhang Shichuan		Drama
	風流劍客	Sun Yu	Jin Yan	Action/Romance	Alternate title: The Rose and the Lady. (薔薇與美人) First lead role for Jin Yan, 1930s matinee idol.
	隱痛
	妹妹我愛你	Dan Duyu	Yin Mingzhu	Comedy
	荒村怪俠			Action
	血淚黃花	Zheng Zhengqiu Cheng Bugao	Hu Die		Released in two parts. Alternate title: Huang Lu's Romance
	鐵蹄下				Alternate title: In Hell

			Wang Zhengxin
	女海盜
	戰地小同胞	Zheng Zhengqiu
	小英雄劉進	Cheng Bugao		Action

Mainland Chinese Film Production Totals[]

Year	Total Films^[5]
1905	2
1906	3
1907	2
1908	1
1913	13
1916	1
1919	1
1920	4
1921	12
1922	7
1923	11
1924	14
1925	59
1926	106
1927	113
1928	95
1929	118

Sources[]

中国影片大典 Encyclopaedia of Chinese Films. 1905-1930, 故事片·戏曲片. (1996). Zhong guo ying pian da dian: 1905-1930. Beijing: 中国电影出版社 China Movie Publishing House. ISBN 7-106-01155-X

References[]

^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-09-06. Retrieved 2007-04-24.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^ "实验天地 Experiment——劳工之爱情 Laborer's Love".
^ Historical Dictionary of Chinese Cinema - Page 113 0810879131 Tan Ye, Yun Zhu - 2012 And sometimes, but not always, martial arts films appear less excessively imbued with violence and bloodshed. The history of the martial arts film can be traced back to the early 1920s, when some pioneering Chinese filmmakers turned to wuxia, “or swordsmen,” novels and other types of fantasy literature for materials to be filmed. Examples include Ren Pengnian's An Empty Dream (1922, adapted from a story in Strange Stories from Liaozhai), Fu Shunnan's A Chivalrous Boy (1924), ...
^ ^a ^b ^c "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2008-09-07. Retrieved 2008-01-07.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^ Encyclopaedia of Chinese Films table of contents

External links[]

IMDb list of Chinese films

[1] "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-09-06. Retrieved 2007-04-24.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

[2] "实验天地 Experiment——劳工之爱情 Laborer's Love".

[3] Historical Dictionary of Chinese Cinema - Page 113 0810879131 Tan Ye, Yun Zhu - 2012 And sometimes, but not always, martial arts films appear less excessively imbued with violence and bloodshed. The history of the martial arts film can be traced back to the early 1920s, when some pioneering Chinese filmmakers turned to wuxia, “or swordsmen,” novels and other types of fantasy literature for materials to be filmed. Examples include Ren Pengnian's An Empty Dream (1922, adapted from a story in Strange Stories from Liaozhai), Fu Shunnan's A Chivalrous Boy (1924), ...

[ucsd-4] "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2008-09-07. Retrieved 2008-01-07.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

[5] Encyclopaedia of Chinese Films table of contents

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]