Once Upon a Time in China is a Hong Kong film franchise directed, written, and produced by
Tsui Hark. The stories are based on the life of Chinese folk hero
Wong Fei-hung, who is portrayed by
Jet Li in the first three films and
Vincent Zhao in the fourth and fifth films. The first two films in the franchise were among the most popular of the Golden Age of Hong Kong cinema (usually dated from 1986 to 1993) and were known for their depiction of
Chinese nationalism as well as action choreography. The
Once Upon a Time in China films were among Jet Li's best known hits at that time.