Inside the Forbidden City
宋宮秘史
Synopsis
It seems that Li Zhenfei was once an imperial concubine, who often found herself competing with her rival Madame Liu for the emperor's sole, undivided attention. When Li gives birth to the Emperor's child, the jealous Liu switches the boy with a cat and commands a servant named Kou Zhu to kill the baby. However, Kou Zhu ignores the order and gives the prince-to-be to the emperor's brother, a decision which eventually leads to the boy being adopted by the emperor himself! But as fate would have it, to go along with his new son, the emperor has a new wife as well - Madame Liu! As this strange new family unit is being constructed, poor Li Zhenfei has been confined to the forbidden palace, condemned to never see or speak to her son, the prince. But destiny reunites her with her son, but will this family reunion be a happy one? And will Madame Liu finally be punished for her treachery?
Top Cast
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Ivy Ling Po
Kou Zhu
Ching Miao
Judge Bao Zheng
Chin Feng
Emperor
Kao Pao-Shu
Empress Liu
Ou-Yang Sha-Fei
Concubine Li Zheng Fei
Li Ching
Fei's Maid Act As Zhu's Ghost
Chen Yu-Hsin
Eunuch Kuo Huai
Ku Wen-Chung
Eunuch Chen Lin
Tien Feng
Prime Minister
Yang Chi-Ching
Emperor's Brother
Chan Wan-Wa
Empress Di
Chiang Kuang-Chao
Fan Zhong Hua
Hao Li-Jen
Prison Warden
Fan Dan
Bao Xing
Fung Ngai
Wang Zhao
Kwan Yan
Ma Han
Wong Nin
Zhao Hu
Tsui Kwan-Sang
Zhang Long
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Kao Li
- Screenplay & Story
- Kao Li, Chang Cheh, Shi Yukun
- Original Score
- Eddie H. Wang Chi-Ren
- Original Title
- 宋宮秘史
- Country of Origin
- Hong Kong
- Spoken Languages
- Mandarin
- Runtime
- 1h 43m
- Production Studios
- Shaw Brothers
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Kao Li
Kao Li, Chang Cheh, Shi Yukun
Eddie H. Wang Chi-Ren
Chiang Hsing-Lung
Run Run Shaw
Department Leadership Roster
Kao Li
Director
Kao Li
Writer
Chang Cheh
Writer
Run Run Shaw
Producer
Chiang Hsing-Lung
Editor
Eddie H. Wang Chi-Ren
Original Music Composer
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Inside the Forbidden City.
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Medieval
Auto-filled from Letterboxd lists
Musicals
Every film Wikidata tags as a musical film.
Hong Kong Cinema
Hong Kong films (Chinese-language, country=HK) enumerated from Wikidata, verified against TMDb. Excludes Western co-productions.
Shaw Brothers Movies
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Frequently Asked Questions About Inside the Forbidden City
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Inside the Forbidden City about?
It seems that Li Zhenfei was once an imperial concubine, who often found herself competing with her rival Madame Liu for the emperor's sole, undivided attention. When Li gives birth to the Emperor's child, the jealous Liu switches the boy with a cat and commands a servant named Kou Zhu to kill the baby. However, Kou Zhu ignores the order and gives the prince-to-be to the emperor's brother, a decision which eventually leads to the boy being adopted by the emperor himself! But as fate would have it, to go along with his new son, the emperor has a new wife as well - Madame Liu! As this strange new family unit is being constructed, poor Li Zhenfei has been confined to the forbidden palace, condemned to never see or speak to her son, the prince. But destiny reunites her with her son, but will this family reunion be a happy one? And will Madame Liu finally be punished for her treachery?
Who directed Inside the Forbidden City?
Inside the Forbidden City was directed by Kao Li.
Who stars in Inside the Forbidden City?
The principal cast of Inside the Forbidden City includes Ivy Ling Po, Ching Miao, Chin Feng, Kao Pao-Shu, Ou-Yang Sha-Fei.
When was Inside the Forbidden City released and how long is it?
Inside the Forbidden City was released in 1965 with a total runtime of 1h 43m.
Who composed the musical score for Inside the Forbidden City?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Inside the Forbidden City was composed by Eddie H. Wang Chi-Ren.
Is Inside the Forbidden City based on a book or true story?
Inside the Forbidden City is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Shi Yukun".