Jet Li

In this Chinese name, the family name is Li.
Jet Li
Li in 2006
Born
Li Lianjie

(1963-04-26) 26 April 1963 (age 61)
Beijing, China
Nationality
  • Chinese (until 1997)
  • American (1997–2009)
  • Singaporean (from 2009)
Occupations
  • Martial artist
  • actor
  • philanthropist
  • film producer
  • director
Years active1982–present
Height5 ft 6 in (168 cm)[1]
Spouses
Huang Qiuyan
​
​
(m. 1987; div. 1990)​
​
(m. 1999)​
Children4
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese李連杰
Simplified Chinese李连杰
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinLǐ Liánjié
Wade–GilesLi Lien-chieh
IPA[lì ljɛ̌n.tɕjě]
Yue: Cantonese
JyutpingLei5 Lin4 Git6
Hong Kong RomanisationLee Lin Kit
IPA[le̬i lɪ̏ŋkìt]
Li Yangzhong
Traditional Chinese李陽中
Simplified Chinese李阳中
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinLǐ Yángzhōng
Wade–GilesLi Yang-chung
IPA[lì jǎŋʈʂʊ́ŋ]
Yue: Cantonese
JyutpingLei5 Joeng4 Zung1
Hong Kong RomanisationLee Yeung Chong
IPA[le̬i jœ̏ŋtsʊ́ŋ]
Websitewww.jetli.com

Li Lianjie (courtesy name Yangzhong; born 26 April 1963),[2] better known by his stage name Jet Li, is a Chinese-born Singaporean martial artist, actor, and philanthropist. After three years of training with acclaimed wushu teacher Wu Bin, Li won his first national championship for the Beijing Wushu Team at age 11. Between 1974 and 1979, he won the title of Men's All-Around National Wushu Champion five times.[3] After retiring from competitive wushu at age 18, he went on to win great acclaim as an actor, making his debut with the Chinese-Hong Kong martial arts film Shaolin Temple (1982), which instantly catapulted him to stardom in East Asia.[4]

Though continued success followed after two sequels in 1984 and 1986, Li had a major breakthrough across Asia with the Once Upon a Time in China film series (1991–1993), in which he portrayed Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-hung. He continued to appear in Hong Kong films set in old China, such as Swordsman II (1992), Tai Chi Master, Fong Sai-yuk, Fong Sai-yuk II, Kung Fu Cult Master, Last Hero in China (all 1993), and The New Legend of Shaolin (1994). He starred in his directorial debut film Born to Defence (1986), which saw Li, for the first time, playing a character in a period setting.[5] In the 1990s, he appeared in several contemporary action films which fused guns and kung fu, most notably High Risk (1995), Black Mask (1996), and Hitman (1998).[6] He portrayed Chen Zhen in the critically acclaimed film Fist of Legend (1994). His movie career in China is credited with reviving wushu in Hong Kong martial arts films during the 1990s,[3] and revitalising the Shaolin Temple.[7] Li is also noted for his contribution to making new wuxia films popular internationally during his career.[4]

His first role in a non-Chinese film was as a villain in Lethal Weapon 4 (1998), and his first leading role in a Hollywood film was as Han Sing in Romeo Must Die (2000). He has gone on to star in many international action films, including in French cinema with the Luc Besson-produced films Kiss of the Dragon (2001) and Unleashed (2005). He co-starred in The One (2001) and War (2007) with Jason Statham, the first three of The Expendables films with Sylvester Stallone, and portrayed the title character villain in The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008). The US-China co-production The Forbidden Kingdom (2008) marked his first collaboration with fellow martial arts star Jackie Chan. He continued to be active in Hong Kong cinema, appearing in the critically acclaimed film Hero (2002), Fearless (2006), which marked his final wushu martial arts film, and The Warlords (2007). For the latter, he became the highest paid actor in a Chinese-language movie, previously holding the record for his part in Hero.[8]

With a film career spanning more than forty years, Li is regarded as one of the most iconic Chinese film stars and one of the most renowned martial arts stars of his generation.[9][10] In 2004, he topped Forbes list of China's richest stars.[11] As a philanthropist, he founded the One Foundation in 2007,[12][13][14] and subsequently Taiji Zen, an online health and wellness program providing instruction in meditation and tai chi.[15] Li was named by Time as one of the 100 Most Influential People in 2010.[16]

Early life and martial arts career

Li was born in Beijing, China, and was the youngest of two boys and two girls. His ancestral home is in Shenyang, China. When he was two years old, his father died and his family then lived in poverty.[17][18]

Li was eight when his talent for Wushu was noticed as he practiced at a school summer course.[19] He then attended a non-sparring wushu event, followed by joining the Beijing Wushu Team which did a martial art display at the All China Games. Renowned coaches Li Junfeng and Wu Bin[20] made extra efforts to help the talented boy develop. Wu Bin even bought food for Li's family in order to boost Li's protein intake.[20]

A very young Li competed against adults[21] and was the national all-around champion from 1975 to 1979.[22]

My winning first place caused quite a sensation because I was so young. I was 12 years old, and the other two medalists were in their mid- to late twenties. During the awards ceremony, as I stood on the top step of the podium, I was still shorter than the 2nd and 3rd place medalists. It must have been quite a sight.

— Jet Li China's Internet Celebrity[23]

In 1974, Li was part of a delegation of forty-three martial arts practitioners who traveled to the United States as part of China's people's diplomacy.[24] The group performed for American audiences in Hawaii, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.[24]

According to Li, once, as a child, when the Chinese National Wushu Team went to perform for President Richard Nixon in the United States, he was asked by Nixon to be his personal bodyguard. Li replied, "I don't want to protect any individual. When I grow up, I want to defend my one billion Chinese countrymen!"[25]

Li is a master of several styles of wushu, especially changquan and fanziquan. He has also studied other arts including baguazhang, tai chi, xingyiquan, drunken boxing, Eagle Claw, and Praying Mantis. He did not learn Nanquan ("Southern Boxing"), because his training focused only in the Northern Shaolin Styles. He has also mastered wushu's main weapons, such as Sanjiegun (Three Section Staff), Gun, Dao (Broadsword), Jian (Straight Sword).[26]

Li retired from competitive wushu when he was only 18 due to a knee injury,[27] but became an assistant coach of the Beijing Wushu team for a few years. Li's martial arts prowess would eventually contribute to his domestic and international fame.[28]

Acting career

Chinese and Hong Kong films

Li's hand print and autograph at the Avenue of Stars in Hong Kong

The fame gained by his sports winnings led to a career as a martial arts film star, beginning in mainland China and then continuing into Hong Kong. Li acquired his screen name in 1982 in the Philippines when a publicity company thought his real name was too hard to pronounce. They likened his career to an aircraft, which likewise "takes-off" as quickly, so they placed the name Jet Li on the movie posters.[29] Soon everybody was calling him by this new name, which was also based on the nickname, "Jet", given to him as a young student, due to his speed and grace when training with the Beijing Wushu team.[citation needed]

He made his film debut with the 1982 film Shaolin Temple. The film broke box office records in China, grossing CN¥161,578,014 (US$85,376,199) at the Chinese box office,[30] from an estimated 500 million ticket sales.[31][32][33] The sequel Kids From Shaolin sold an estimated 490 million tickets, making it 1984's highest-grossing film in China.[34]

Some of his more famous Chinese films include:

Li starred in the 1995 film High Risk, where Li plays a Captain who becomes disillusioned after his wife is murdered by crime lords. Along the way, he pairs up with a wacky sell-out actor, Frankie (played by Jacky Cheung), and proceeds to engage in a series of violent battles in a high-rise building. The setting is similar to that of Die Hard and both their Chinese film titles. This movie is notable in that director Wong Jing had such a terrible experience working with Jackie Chan in Jing's previous film City Hunter that he chose to make Cheung's character a biting satire of Chan. Li would later publicly apologise to Chan for taking part in it.

Li had two wuxia feature films released in 2011, The Sorcerer and the White Snake and Flying Swords of Dragon Gate; the latter was helmed by Tsui Hark.

To promote tai chi, in 2012, Li starred in a film titled Tai Chi and co-produced the movie with Chen Kuo-Fu. Li portrayed tai chi master Yang Luchan.[35][36]

American/Western films

In 1998, he made his international film debut in Lethal Weapon 4 which also marked the first time he had ever played a villain in a film. He agreed to do Lethal Weapon 4 after the producer Joel Silver promised to give him the leading role in his next film, Romeo Must Die (2000), alongside singer Aaliyah. The film became a box office hit. Though Li spoke very little English at the time of production, his performance as Chinese mafia hitman Wah Sing Ku was praised.[37][38]

Li turned down Chow Yun-fat's role in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) because he promised his wife that he would not make any films during her pregnancy.[39] He also turned down the role of Seraph in The Matrix trilogy, based on his belief that the role was not one which required his skills and that the films were iconic and stunning enough without adding his name to the cast list. Li was also cast as Kato in The Green Hornet when the film was still in development in 2000. In 2001, it was moved to another studio. When the film was moved on again and released in 2011, the role of Kato was portrayed by Jay Chou.

In 2001, he appeared in two more films: The One, which was the first of his films with Jason Statham, and Kiss of the Dragon opposite Bridget Fonda which did moderately well at the box office. In July 2001, Li agreed to produce and star in an action film with Jackie Chan which was to be released in 2002 or 2003, but no further news of their collaboration surfaced until 2006. In 2002, the period martial arts epic film Hero was released in the Chinese market. This film was both a commercial and critical success and became the highest-grossing motion picture in Chinese film history at the time.[40] In 2003 he reunited with producer Joel Silver for the action thriller film Cradle 2 the Grave where he starred alongside rapper DMX and fellow martial artist Mark Dacascos. In 2004, Li lent his likeness, voice and provided motion capture work for the video game Jet Li: Rise to Honor.

Li was presented the Visionary Award by East West Players, the oldest Asian American theatre in the United States,[41] in 2002 by contemporary John Woo. The award recognizes "artists who have raised the visibility of the Asian Pacific American community through theater, film and television."[42] He delivered his acceptance speech in his native language of Mandarin.[43]

Li took on a more serious role in the 2005 film, Unleashed (a.k.a. Danny the Dog), where he portrayed an adult with the mentality of a child who has been raised like an animal. Although his martial arts skills were used extensively, it was a somber film with more depth than had been previously seen in Li's films, and co-starred dramatic actors Bob Hoskins and Morgan Freeman.

In 2006, the martial arts film epic Fearless, was released worldwide. Although he will continue to make martial arts films, Fearless is his last wushu martial arts film.[44][45][46][47] In Fearless, he played Huo Yuanjia, the real-life founder of Chin Woo Athletic Association, who reportedly defeated foreign boxers and Japanese martial artists in publicised events at a time when China's power was seen as eroding. Together with the film Fist of Legend, Li has portrayed both Chen Jun, the student and avenger of Huo Yuanjia (a.k.a. Fok Yun Gap), as well as Huo Yuanjia himself. Fearless was released on 26 January 2006 in Hong Kong, followed by a 22 September 2006 release in the United States where it reached second place in its first weekend.

I stepped into the martial arts movie market when I was only 16. I think I have proved my ability in this field and it won't make sense for me to continue for another five or 10 years. Huo Yuanjia is a conclusion to my life as a martial arts star.[48]

Li has stated in an interview with the Shenzhen Daily newspaper that this will be his last martial arts epic, which is also stated in the film's television promotions. However, he plans to continue his film career in other genres. Specifically, he plans to continue acting in epic action and martial arts films dealing more with religious and philosophical issues.[citation needed]

Li's 2007 Hollywood film, War, was released in August of that year, and re-teamed him with actor Jason Statham, who previously starred with him in The One, and action choreographer Corey Yuen. War raked in a disappointing US$23 million at the box office, becoming one of Li's lowest grossers in America; however, it was a hit on video, accumulating nearly US$52 million in rental revenue, more than doubling its box office take.[49] With the exception of Romeo Must Die and the worldwide release of Hero, most of Li's American/Western films have been only modest hits like Kiss of the Dragon, The One, Unleashed, Cradle 2 the Grave, and the worldwide release of Fearless.

He has a very good control of the strength of every fist and kick. In the past, he used too much strength, those that get hit would be in great pain. He's the archetype of power. […] Yes, he's still the best.

— Yuen Woo-ping martial arts choreographer[50]
Li in 2006

In late 2007, Li returned again to China to participate in the China/Hong Kong co-production of the period war film The Warlords with Andy Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro. This film, with its focus on dramatics rather than martial arts, netted Li the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor.

Li and fellow martial arts veteran Jackie Chan finally appeared together onscreen for the first time in The Forbidden Kingdom, which began filming in May 2007 and was released to critical and commercial success on 18 April 2008. The film was based on the legend of the Monkey King from the Chinese folk novel Journey to the West.[51][52] Li also starred as the lead villain Emperor Han in the fantasy action film The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor with actors Brendan Fraser, Isabella Leong and Michelle Yeoh.[53]

After a one-year hiatus from filmmaking, Li returned to acting in 2010, portraying a mercenary in the film The Expendables, teaming up with action stars Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Mickey Rourke, Eric Roberts, Steve Austin, Terry Crews, and Randy Couture. It was the third time he had teamed up with Statham. In 2012, he reprised his role briefly in the sequel The Expendables 2 and returned for the third film The Expendables 3 in 2014. Li was initially stated to be appearing with Vin Diesel in XXX: Return of Xander Cage, but according to a Facebook post by Diesel, Li was replaced by Donnie Yen.[54][55][56]

Li was cast as the Emperor of China for the 2020 live action movie, Mulan.[57]

Personal life

In 1998, Li converted to Tibetan Buddhism when he was promoting Lethal Weapon 4 in Taiwan.[58][59] His master is Lho Kunsang.[60]

In 1987, Li married Beijing Wushu Team member and Kids From Shaolin co-star Huang Qiuyan,[61] with whom he has two daughters, Si and Taimi.[62] He met actress Nina Li Chi during the filming of Dragon Fight (1989) and divorced Huang in 1990. In 1999, Li married Nina at his villa in Arcadia, California,[63] which he owned from 1998 to 2004.[64] The couple have two daughters, Jane (born 2000) and Jada (born 2002).[65]

Li was in the Maldives when a tsunami hit during the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. Although it was widely reported at the time that he had died during the disaster,[66] Li only suffered a minor foot injury caused by a piece of floating furniture when he was guiding Jane and the nanny—who was holding Jada—to safety of higher ground amid dangerously rising ocean water. They were by the pool and slightly above the beach when the wave came ashore, barely escaping to the upper floors of a hotel building.[67]

Li was appointed by the Chinese Wushu Association as the "Image Ambassador of Wushu" (or IWUF ambassador) at the 2007 World Wushu Championships in Beijing.

In April 2009, Li renounced his US citizenship,[68] which he obtained in 1997.[69][70] He was thought to have obtained Singaporean citizenship, although Singaporean authorities did not initially provide any confirmation of this.[71] In July, the One Foundation's executive chairperson announced that Li had indeed become a Singaporean citizen. Li was said to have chosen Singapore for his two younger daughters' education.[72] According to The Korea Herald in 2011, Li did not say whether he had renounced his US and Chinese nationalities, but Singapore law forbids citizens from holding dual passports.[73] In 2009, he launched his own fitness program, Wuji[74]—which consists of elements of martial arts, yoga and pilates—and Adidas launched a special clothing line for it that bears the initials of "JL".[75][76]

In 2013, Li revealed that he suffers from hyperthyroidism and had been dealing with the issue for the past three years.[77] In 2016, Li stated that he was accepting fewer film offers due to his charity work rather than his illness, from which he had recovered.[78]

Li likes to play badminton and table tennis, ride his bicycle, read and meditate in his free time. He collects rare Tibetan beads. Li has stated that he is never bored in his free time.[79][80]

Views on life and martial arts

Li, as a Buddhist, believes that the difficulties of everyday life can be overcome with the help of religious philosophies.[81] He thinks that fame is not something he can control; therefore, he does not care about it.[82]

I never say to myself I'm the best fighter in the world. If someone learns martial arts solely to pick fights on the street, to lean on it as a keystone weapon in conflicts, to use it to bully and intimidate others – then that person, in my opinion, cannot be considered a true martial artist.[83]

According to Li, everything he has ever wanted to tell the world can be found in three of his films: the message of Hero is that the suffering of one person can never be as significant as the suffering of a nation; Unleashed shows that violence is never a solution; and Fearless tells that the biggest enemy of a person is himself. Li thinks that the greatest weapon is a smile and the largest power is love.[84]

About Wushu, he said that he believes the essence of martial arts is not power or speed but inner harmony, and considers it a sad development that today's Wushu championships place greater emphasis on form than on the essence of being a martial artist. He believes Wushu now lacks individuality and competitors move like machines, whereas according to his views Wushu should not be considered a race where the fastest athlete wins. He would like to see Wushu as a form of art, where artists have a distinctive style. Li blames the new competition rules that, according to him, place limitations on martial artists.[85]

Li believes that Wushu is not primarily for self-defense and instead of trying to play the hero people should think about peaceful resolutions of conflicts and call the police if necessary:

"A gun outdoes years of martial arts training in a split second. Like I've said many times before, it is important to differentiate between movies and reality. The hero in movies may be able to knock the gun off his opponent and save the day, but in real life – probably that is not the case."[86]

He has also stated that he has never had to use his martial arts skills in a real-life fight and he does not wish to, either.[83]

Taiji Zen

In 2011, Li founded Taiji Zen, along with co-founder Executive chairman Jack Ma. Taiji Zen combined the martial art of tai chi (taijiquan in Chinese) with practices such as meditation. It packaged these into several different classes and online programs.[87]

Philanthropy

Li speaks at the World Economic Forum in Tianjin, China, September 2008

Li has been a "philanthropic ambassador" of the Red Cross Society of China since January 2006. He contributed 500,000 yuan (US$62,500) of box office revenues from his film Fearless to the Red Cross' psychological sunshine project, which promotes mental health.[88]

In April 2007, touched by his life-shaking experience in the Maldives when he was close to dying during the 2004 tsunami, Li formed his own non-profit foundation called The One Foundation.[89][90] The One Foundation supports international disaster relief efforts in conjunction with the Red Cross as well as other efforts, including mental health awareness and suicide prevention. Since the starting of the foundation, Li has been involved with recovery efforts in seven disasters, including the 2008 Sichuan earthquake[67] and Typhoon Morakot in Taiwan.[91] In the 2013 Lushan earthquake in Ya'an, Sichuan, Li and other members of the entertainment sector were the first to appeal for donations of money, goods and materials to help the victims of the disaster.[92][93] Wu Jing was a One Foundation volunteer and helped in the effort.[94] One Foundation was registered in 2011 as the first private charitable fundraising organization in China.[95]

Li discussed his commitment to philanthropy in an interview with the December 2009 issue of Alliance magazine, stating that "grassroots non-government organizations can help the government in its blind spots. Government relief is not always detail-oriented. Grassroots NGOs can't be as big as a government effort, but they need to be flexible and independent."[96]

In September 2010, he was appointed by the International Red Cross as the first Good Will Ambassador. He posted online, saying:

"Today I signed a deal with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies – IFRC – to become the FIRST goodwill ambassador in the history of this humanitarian organization. I am very honored! At the same time, I will not pause to celebrate, but instead keep pushing forward and do my best to help the world! Thank you all once again for your support and belief in me!"[97]

It was also announced in September 2010, when Li was attending his wax unveiling ceremony in Hong Kong Madame Tussauds, that Li would be meeting Bill Gates and Warren Buffett to talk about charity work.[98] "Three days ago, I received an email from Gates, hoping I could make time because he and Buffett hoped I could go for a 30-minute chat before the dinner about the future we face as human beings, so I will go," Li said.[99]

Filmography

Main article: Jet Li filmography

By US box office statistics, the most successful Jet Li film as of August 2010 is Lethal Weapon 4, which grossed over $130 million domestically, while the second is The Expendables with over $103 million.[100] Hero is the third most successful foreign language film in the US,[101] and one of the most critically acclaimed Li movies.[102] Fearless is the seventh most successful foreign language film of all time in the US.[101] From an aggregated critical point of view, the best acclaimed Li movie is Fist of Legend (Rotten Tomatoes: 100%) and the worst is The One (Rotten Tomatoes: 13%).[102]

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Film Result
1995 Golden Horse Film Festival Special Award — Won
1999 MTV Movie Awards Best Villain Lethal Weapon 4 Nominated
2001 Best Fight Romeo Must Die Nominated
2002 The One Nominated
2003 Cradle 2 the Grave Nominated
2006 Hundred Flowers Awards Best Actor Fearless Nominated
2007 Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards Won
Hong Kong Film Awards Nominated
2008 The Warlords Won
Shanghai Film Critics Awards Won
Asian Film Awards Nominated
Hundred Flowers Awards Nominated

See also

References

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  2. ^ "Biography.com". Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 29 January 2014.,
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  4. ^ a b "12 of the best Jet Li movies that redefined martial arts". 24 April 2023.
  5. ^ "Jet Li | Biography, Movies, & Facts | Britannica". 19 September 2024.
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  22. ^ "IWUF Ambassadors". IWUF.
  23. ^ China's Internet Celebrity: Furong Jiejie in Celebrity in China. Retrieved 2 October 2010.
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  31. ^ 王伟杰 (January 2018). 冲突与引导：文化资源开发中的价值选择 (in Chinese). Social Sciences Literature Press. p. 299. ISBN 978-7-5201-2573-4.
  32. ^ "回望中国电影20年 从5亿人看《少林寺》到票房1日破亿" [Looking back at Chinese movies over 20 years, from 500 million people watching "Shaolin Temple" to the box office breaking 100 million in one day]. China Daily (in Chinese). 29 December 2014. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
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  34. ^ 中国电影年鉴 [China Film Yearbook] (in Chinese). 中国电影出版社 (China Film Press). 1985. p. 46. 两年来,包括三种拷贝( 8.75 毫米、 16 毫米和 35 毫米)在内,观众人次最多的十几部影片是:《武当》,从 1983 年 7 月发行到 1984 年 6 月,有五亿四千四百多万观众;《武林志》,从 1983 年 8 月到 1984 年 6 月,四亿二千五百七十九万观众;第三位是"上影"的喜剧片《飞来的女婿》。 这是出乎我意料之外的,无论评论界还是领导同志,几乎没有人认为这是一部好的或者比较好的影片(当然内容上是没有问题的) ,我好象还没有看到过有什么评论提到这部影片,但是 1983 年 1 月到 1984 年 6 月,观众人次一亿九千九百五十万;另外几部影片的观众人次:《蓝盾保险箱》, 一亿七千万;《特殊身份的警官》,一亿三千万;《人到中年》,一亿二千万;《蛇案》, 1983 年 12 月到今年 6 月,一亿二千万;《东方剑》,一亿人次;《咱们的牛百岁》,一亿一千万;《小小得月楼》,八千八百万;还有两部与香港合拍的影片,《少林弟子》,四亿九千万;《自古英雄出少年》,从 1984 年 1 月到 6 月,二亿六千万。我算了一下,除两部合拍影片外,这 10 部影片中上座的情况大概是这样的:两部武打片,占九亿六千九百八十三万;四部惊险片,或叫地下斗争或侦破片,六亿三千万;另外喜剧片,三亿九千万;还有《人到中年》,一亿二千万,加上两部合拍片, 12 部影片观众人次约三十亿。 [In the past two years, including three copies (8.75mm, 16mm and 35mm), the dozen films with the most audiences were: "Wudang", which was released from July 1983 to June 1984, with more than 544 million viewers; "Wu lin zhi", from August 1983 to June 1984, 425.79 million viewers; the third is the Shanghai Film Studio comedy "Fei lai de nü xu". This is beyond my expectations, no matter critics or leading comrades, almost no one thinks this is a good or relatively good film (of course there is no problem with the content), I don't seem to have seen it. What reviews mention this film, but from January 1983 to June 1984, the audience was 199.5 million; the audience for the other films: "Blue Shield Safe", 170 million; "A Policeman with a Special Identity", 130 million; "At Middle Age", 120 million; "She an", December 1983 to June this year, 120 million; "Dong Fangjian", 100 million people; "Our Niu Baisui", 110 million; "Little Deyuelou", 88 million; and two films co-produced with Hong Kong, "Kids from Shaolin", 490 million; "Young Heroes", from January to June 1984, 260 million. I calculated, except for the two co-production films, the status of the top 10 films is probably like this: two martial arts films, accounting for 969.83 million; four thrilling films, or underground struggles or detective films, 630 million; comedy films, 390 million; and "At Middle Age", 120 million, plus two co-productions, 12 films with an audience of about 3 billion.]
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Further reading

  • Ducker, Chris, and Stuart Cutler. The HKS Guide to Jet Li. London: Hong Kong Superstars, 2000.
  • Marx, Christy. Jet Li. Martial Arts Masters. Rosen Publishing Group, 2002. ISBN 0-8239-3519-1.
  • Parish, James Robert. Jet Li: A Biography. New York: Thunder's Mouth Press, 2002. ISBN 1-56025-376-2.
  • Farquhar, M.(2010) ‘Jet Li: "Wushu Master" in Sport and Film’ in Jeffreys, Elaine. & Edwards, Louise (eds.), Celebrity in China, Hong Kong University Press, Hong Kong pp. 103–124. ISBN 962-209-088-5
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