A Touch of Zen (1971) poster6

Taiwan10 Essential Films from TaiwanStop 6 of 10

A Touch of Zen

俠女

1971

A humble village painter is drawn into the plight of a mysterious woman fleeing corrupt officials, aided by warrior monks, in an ever-deepening tale of swordplay, intrigue, and spiritual transcendence. King Hu's ravishing, influential wuxia masterpiece.

Why it’s here

A Taiwanese wuxia landmark by King Hu and one of Taiwan cinema's major international classics.

Return to the complete listFilm notesWatch options

Part of 10 Essential Films from Taiwan

This film is stop 6 of 10 in the hand-ranked native-cinema route through Taiwan. See the complete ranking or read the selection methodology.

FilmsAroundThe.World is a hand-curated atlas of world cinema with ranked country guides. It has no ads or accounts; anonymous aggregate page views and product milestones are measured with Vercel Web Analytics. Open the map, follow a curated route, or read the methodology.