'' A Chinese Ghost Story '' ( ) is a 1987 Hong Kong romantic comedy horror film starring Leslie Cheung , Joey Wong and Wu Ma , directed by Ching Siu-tung and produced by Tsui Hark . The plot is loosely based on a short story about Nie Xiaoqian from Qing dynasty writer Pu Songling 's '' Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio '' , and also inspired by the 1960 Shaw Brothers Studio film , '' The Enchanting Shadow '' . The film was popular in Hong Kong and several Asian countries , including South Korea and Japan . Although the film could not gain access to movie theaters in mainland China when it was first released , it became a cult classic among young people in the mainland , especially the generation born in the 1980s . Most notably it boosted the stardom of Joey Wong , won Leslie Cheung popularity in Japan , and sparked a trend of folklore ghost films in the Hong Kong film industry , including two sequels , an animated film , a television series and a 2011 remake . The film was ranked number 50 of the Best 100 Chinese Motion Pictures presented at the 24th Hong Kong Film Awards
24th Hong Kong Film Awards
24th Hong Kong Film Awards
A Chinese Ghost Story