Yang, a thief, witnessed his adoptive father's murder and vows to avenge his death after stealing a jade buddha with Hong. He meets Mu, who helps him escape from the authorities and they fall in love. Yang has a change of heart after meeting Da Mo and works to stop Mu from taking the throne.

Former Shaolin man Marshal Kao takes his former classmates prisoner and, instead of executing them, proposes to his Qing commander that he torture them until they're willing to fight on behalf of the Qings. The 'torture' comes to look increasingly like strenuous kung fu training with Kao putting the prisoners through their paces. The Qing governor and his aides become suspicious of Kao's motives, although the beautiful Princess Shao Lung develops her own ideas about him.

While international favorite David Chiang was best known for his roles as a grinning, streetwise, fighter in many Chang Cheh-directed classics, he rarely played a noble warrior monk. But here he portrays the great Chih Shim, the monk who saved the Southern Shaolin Temple. Making this production all the more notable is Lo Lieh, Shaws' first international star, who returns to a role he also made famous - that of Shaolin renegade Pai Mei. This, and even more, makes for a true martial arts epic of the first order.

This classical tale of Shaolin Temple disciples versus the Manchurian Ching government displays Shaolin martial arts at its best in empty hand combat. After the siege of the Shaolin Monastery by the Ching gevernment in the 18th century, students of Shaolin led by Hung See-Kwan, continue to rebel agains the Manchus. Hung then joins forces with the well-known hero Fong Sai Yuk. Hung is now a wanted criminal by Ching leader Kow Ching Chung, former disciple of Shaolin. Fong's association with Hung brings tragedy to his family as they are raided and killed by Kow's troops. Fong and Hung prepare for the final battle as they vow to bring Kow to his knees to avenge Shaolin and their families.

It tells the story of the abbot Zhi Yuan and his five disciples during the chaos of the Northern and Southern Dynasties period.

A C.I.A. agent is assigned to go to Beijing to look for a hidden "treasure," which turns out to be a woman who has supernatural powers, and is the National Treasure of China.