Three-Head Monster

Visions of a ghostly woman compel Sze An, a poor scholar, to go on a trip which leads him to the mysterious Cherry Estate, whose carefree inhabitants know nothing of the rest of the world.

This film is in the style of Liaozhai, consisting of three ghost stories. The first story, "The Horse Girl," depicts the turbulent relationship between a young woman living alone in the suburbs and her beloved horse. The second story, "The Ancient Temple," tells of an assassin hunting down the exiled emperor of a previous dynasty in an ancient hall during a time of political upheaval. The third story, "The Child in the Mirror," portrays a hypocritical old monk who, unable to bear the guilt of his actions, meets a tragic end.

In Shanghai, Hai-nan, son of a Chinese official, is found stabbed on the street. But when the culprit, Li-fang, is apprehended, she refuses to reveal her motives. Meanwhile, a police officer grows suspicious of the officials’ rush to close the case. As he searches for leads in the case files, a shocking truth about Li-fang is revealed.

The film is composed of four unconnected Chinese myths, including how Pangu opened the sky, Nuwa created man, Kuafu chased the sun, and when Huangdi fights Chiyou, of which the latter occupies the longest section. Between the stories, the director connects them with narrations "full of sensibility and philosophy", thus forming a "picture of the founding of the ancestors" imagined by the director.