Actor Leon Lai in the film Mei Lanfang

Mei introduced his exotic art to people around the world. He often toured abroad. Audiences were impressed by his modest, unaffected manner. Between the 1920's and 1950's Mei was often called a cultural ambassador for China. After the Japanese aggression of China in the late 1930s, Mei refused to perform for the Japanese. He grew a mustache and lived in retirement as a hermit, in an expression of patriotism and national dignity. The recreation on screen, of Mei, a man admired and even revered proved a challenging task for director Chen Kaige.

Chen Kaige was born into an artistic family. His father is film director Chen Huaikai. In 1978, Chen enrolled at the Beijing Film Academy. He majored in film directing. After graduation, his debut film was "Yellow Earth". The film earned rave reviews and was acclaimed as a breakthrough for Chinese cinematic narrative. Later, Chen became acknowledged as a major figure in the fifth generation of Chinese directors.