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It is the eighth year of the Jinghtai Era during the Ming dynasty (1457 A.D.) and powerful eunuchs have taken over the Chinese government. The country's two most important agencies are the Eastern Agency and Imperial Guards.

The leader of the Eastern Agency, Zhao Shao Qin, executes the supposedly corrupt Minister of Defense, Yu Qian, and publicly announces that his children will be exiled at the remote outpost Dragon Inn. However, Zhao Shao Qin also secretly orders his top assassins to meet the children at Dragon Inn and kill them.

Soon after, the traveling swordsman Xiao Shaozi arrives at Dragon Inn where Zhao Shao Qin's assassins are patiently waiting for their targets to appear. The swordsman annoys them and they attempt to poison him, but he repeatedly outsmarts them. The assassins' plan is further complicated when two new swordsmen, the Zhu brothers, arrive and announce that they will spend a few days in Dragon Inn. Convinced that Xiao Shaozi and the Zhu brothers have been sent to save Yu Qian's children, the assassins decide to eliminate them as quickly as possible.

Director: King Hu
Cast: Lingfeng Shangguan, Chun Shih, Ying Bai, Feng Hsu
Country: Taiwan, Hong Kong
Genre: Action, Adventure

BD50, DVD9 | 1080p AVC, NTSC | 01:51:39 | 42.8 Gb + 7.30 Gb + 3% rec
Language: Chinese
Subtitles: English

Extras:

• The Phoenix Rises - in this new video interview, Shangkuang Ling-fung recalls how she made her acting debut in Dragon Inn and discusses King Hu's vision of the film and working methods. The interview was conducted exclusively for Criterion in 2018. In English, not subtitled. (11 min, 1080p).

• Making History - in this featurette, actor Shih Chun explains how the character he played in Dragon Inn launched his career, and discusses his work with dierctor King Hu during the shooting of the film. The featurette was produced for Criterion in 2016. In Mandarin, with printed English subtitles. (11 min, 1080p).

• Art in Action - in this new featurette, Grady Hendrix, author and cofounder of the New York Asian Film Festival, discusses the groundbreaking martial art style that the films of King Hu promoted and legitimized as well as the profound impact that they had on countless directors and their own styles over the years. Also included is an excellent analysis of a key scene from Dragon Inn. The featurette was produced for Criterion in 2018. In English, not subtitled. (26 min, 1080p).

• Premiere Newsreel - archival footage from the film's premiere in Taipei, Taiwan. In Mandarin, with optional English subtitles. (2 min).

• Trailer - restored trailer for Dragon Inn. In Mandarin, with printed English subtitles. (2 min, 1080p).