The Burning of the Red Lotus Temple

The Burning of the Red Lotus Temple is a Chinese silent film serial directed by Zhang Shichuan. The film is adapted from the novel The Tale of the Extraordinary Swordsman.

The Burning of the Red Lotus Temple, in 16 parts, is among the longest films ever produced and the longest major release, running 27 hours in total. The Mingxing Film Company production was released in 19 feature-length parts between 1928 and 1931. No copies have survived.

After being defeated in a fight by a local gang, local official Lu Fengyang sends his weak and sickly son Lu Xiaoqing to study with a master of the Kunlun school of martial arts. Recovered and strong, he comes upon the Red Lotus Temple, and puts up there for the night. Unable to sleep, he begins looking around the palatial temple, and discovers a room decorated with many images of Buddhist demons, and an altar to worship them. Entering to look around, he finds the entrance to a deep cave from which an oppressive, foul odor emanates. (http://www.chinesemirror.com/index/2009/08/among-the-best-of-28-burning-red-lotus-temple.html) This wuxia serial was adapted from a newspaper serial (Strange Tales of the Adventurer in the Wild Country) and released in 18 feature-length parts over a period of 3 years. In its entirety it would be 27 hours long. Considered lost.