On the evening of November 27, the Guangzhou premiere of the Guangdong-produced historical film Heroes of Sanyuanli as part of the “Premiere in Guangzhou” initiative was successfully held. Director Wang Yinuo, along with leading cast members including Yan Yikuan, Liu Qiushi, Fang Yangfei, Wang Yusen, Li Shengxiong, Ma Tiemo, Gong Zhi, and Yang Huanyu, watched this epic tale of ordinary people focusing on the 1841 Sanyuanli anti-British struggle with the on-site audience, and engaged in in-depth exchanges after the screening. With its unique perspective of ordinary folks and profound historical heritage, the film struck a strong chord with the audience, earning prolonged applause from all attendees at the end.
The event was guided by the Publicity Department of the CPC Guangzhou Municipal Committee and the Guangzhou Federation of Literary and Art Circles, hosted by the Guangzhou Film Association, the Publicity Department of the CPC Baiyun District Committee of Guangzhou, the Working Committee of Sanyuanli Sub-district of Baiyun District, Guangzhou, the People’s Government of Sanyuanli Sub-district of Baiyun District, Guangzhou, Guangzhou Qunying Huicui Cultural Communication Co., Ltd., and China Vision Jinnuo Film and Television Culture (Guangzhou) Co., Ltd., and co-organized by Guangzhou Performance and Film Co., Ltd.
In June 1840, Britain launched the Opium War against China. On May 25 of the following year, British troops captured the fortifications north of Guangzhou and set up their headquarters at Yongkang Platform, the highest terrain, from which cannons could directly bombard the city proper. The Qing army commander sought peace, but before the ink on the peace treaty was dry, British forces repeatedly harassed Sanyuanli and surrounding villages in the northwest suburbs, committing atrocities such as looting, burning, killing, and raping women.
Enraged, the people of Guangzhou, with the residents of Sanyuanli at the core, launched a vigorous anti-British struggle. Breaking away from traditional heroic narrative modes, Heroes of Sanyuanli is set against this real historical backdrop, telling the stirring story of ordinary villagers like vegetable farmer Wei Shaoguang and martial arts instructor Liu Sanyi, who united under the call of Juren He Yucheng and bravely fought against British troops armed with muskets and cannons using farming tools such as sickles, axes, and fish forks.
In the end, after several arduous battles, the villagers of Sanyuanli were reinforced by fellow townsfolk from Panyu, Nanhai, Zengcheng and other places, successfully repelling the British army. The work vividly portrays a group of ordinary heroes from Sanyuanli, and the numerous highly realistic close-quarters combat scenes are thrilling and rousing.
During the post-screening exchange session, Director Wang Yinuo could not hide her excitement: “Returning to Guangzhou, to Baiyun, to Sanyuanli, my mood is particularly surging.” She recalled the arduous creative journey of the film from its conceptualization in August 2023 to the present, and emotionally elaborated on the profound connection between the film and Guangzhou: “We want to tell everyone through this film that Guangzhou is not only a famous commercial city with a history of over 2,000 years, but also a heroic city with fortitude and integrity. The spirit of fearlessness and unity of the ancestors of Sanyuanli is deeply rooted in this land and is an inseparable part of Guangzhou’s urban bloodline.”
Yan Yikuan, who plays He Yucheng in the film, frankly stated that his participation stemmed from a special sentiment: “I appeared as an extra in The Opium War in 1996, and now, nearly 30 years later, being able to star in Heroes of Sanyuanli feels like completing a task that has come full circle.” Liu Qiushi, who portrays martial arts instructor Liu Sanyi, shared the hardships of filming: “There are many large-scale scenes in the film, and several major battle scenes took a lot of time. We braved wind and rain every day, but after seeing the final cut, we felt all the efforts were worthwhile.”
7-year-old child actor Yang Huanyu played “Zhaodi”, a young villager from Sanyuanli cruelly killed by British soldiers in the film. She naively expressed her feelings: “After participating in this film, I learned about this period of history in Sanyuanli, Guangzhou. During filming, I thought Zhaodi was both brave and pitiful.” American actor Ma Tiemo played the villain Bi Qiu and said in Chinese: “I am particularly honored to join the crew of Heroes of Sanyuanli. The director made this film hoping that everyone would better understand their own culture and history. This story is very meaningful, and I hope everyone will come to support it.” Both speeches won enthusiastic applause from the audience present.
During the exchange, Director Wang Yinuo also invited Wang Yusen, Fang Yangfei, and Ma Tiemo to showcase Chinese kung fu on-site. As an eighth-generation member of the Jackie Chan Stunt Team, Ma Tiemo’s boxing was powerful and vigorous, pushing the atmosphere of the scene to a climax.
At the event, the Xiaogang Economic Joint Society released an AI image based on He Yucheng, innovating cultural inheritance through digital means. Designed based on He Yucheng’s portrait in Lancui Mountain Villa Poetry Collection and his bronze statue in Sanyuanli Ancient Temple, the image includes two sets of styles: realistic and Q-version characters. It will vividly tell patriotic history from a first-person perspective, re-polishing the profound historical mark of “103 villages uniting to resist British aggression”.
Many audience members shared their viewing experiences and touching feelings on-site. A student from Sanyuanli Primary School said that the scene of the villagers charging in the Niulanggang battle deeply moved her: “I greatly admire their fearless spirit of sacrificing their lives for a just cause. The spirit of the Sanyuanli villagers in defying brute force and resisting foreign invaders is worthy of being passed down forever.”
The film’s producers include several entrepreneurs from Sanyuanli. Li Zhizhen spoke on their behalf: “I was particularly shocked and moved after watching the film, and I am proud of the people of Sanyuanli.” Li Guoqiang, the former village head of Sanyuanli Village and a descendant of historical witnesses, specially thanked them: “It is with everyone’s joint support that Heroes of Sanyuanli was successfully filmed and released.”
Co-produced by Guangzhou Qunying Huicui Cultural Media Co., Ltd., China Vision Jinnuo Film and Television Culture (Guangzhou) Co., Ltd., etc., Heroes of Sanyuanli has been selected into the Guangdong Provincial Key Film Project Library and received support, as well as funding from Guangzhou’s special film industry support fund. Filmed entirely in Guangdong, the film was officially released nationwide on November 28.
