Title: The Kingdom And The Beauty 江山美人 Year: 1958 Director: Li Han-hsiang 李翰祥 Casts: Lin dai 林黛, Chao Lei 趙雷, King Hu 金銓, Yang Chi-ching 楊志卿 One of the most beautiful huangmei opera movies ever made, The Kingdom And The Beauty is so entertaining that even non-opera buffs can't fail to be amused. Directed by Li Han-hsiang, the acknowledged master of the genre, this tale of a Chinese emperor's love for a country maiden boasts such high production values that it represents a high point in Hong Kong cinema history. Winner of the Best Picture Award at the prestigious Asian Film Festival, this musical was a huge box office success upon its initial release and is still fondly remembered today, its musical score a source of many "golden oldies" and its lush color cinematography of a standard rarely surpassed. But the chief factor in The Kingdom And The Beauty's success is the "beauty" of the title, superstar, Linda Lin Dai in one of her most acclaimed roles.