
The Tang emperor is betrayed by one of his generals, who installs himself as emperor in the East Capital. The son of one of his slave workers escapes to the Shaolin Temple, learns kung fu, and sets out to kill the traitor who killed his father.


The Shaolin Temple trilogy (1982-1986) marks the beginning of Jet Li's stunning career. The martial arts purists claim that he was never better than in these action/adventure showcase films! The third installment (produced by the Shaw Brothers) is directed by the legendary Liu Chia Liang.
Combined theatrical financials and commercial performance across all 3 installments.
Total Worldwide Gross
$19.7M
Cumulative box office receipts
Total Production Budget
$10M
Combined studio investments
Average Gross / Film
$6.6M
Average theatrical return
Commercial Multiple
1.97x
Worldwide Gross vs Budget
Browse all releases in chronological order or sorted by rating.

The Tang emperor is betrayed by one of his generals, who installs himself as emperor in the East Capital. The son of one of his slave workers escapes to the Shaolin Temple, learns kung fu, and sets out to kill the traitor who killed his father.

Romance blossoms between two rival families practicing Shaolin and Wudang kungfu respectively. despite familial opposition - until they overcome a gang of scheming bandits together.

In ancient China, Zhi Ming trains at the legendary Northern Shaolin temple to avenge the death of his father at the hands of a nefarious magistrate.