Once Upon a Time a Hero in China

Liu Yongfu invites Wong Fei-hung aboard his ship in Foshan to watch a traditional lion dance. Sailors aboard a nearby French ship misinterpret the loud firecrackers as gunfire and return fire, injuring the dancers. Wong steadies the performance by taking up the lion head and finishing the routine, earning Liu's attention.

Wong is the local militia instructor and runs the Po-chi-lam clinic. He meets Siu-kwan, the daughter of his grandfather's sworn brother, and they share restrained romantic tension due to social norms. She is known as 13th Aunt, highlighting the era's conservatism surrounding their relationship.

Leung Foon arrives in Foshan with an opera troupe to stage performances. He crosses paths with 13th Aunt and develops a crush, while also rubbing shoulders with the Shaho Gang who threaten local businesses. The stage is set for rivalries that will pull Wong into deeper conflicts.

The Shaho Gang extorts money from local merchants, raising tensions in Foshan. A fight erupts between the gang and the local militia while Wong is meeting the Governor in a Foshan restaurant. The Governor's involvement leads to orders to disband and arrest militia members.

Wong confronts the Shaho Gang leader, defeats him, and captures him. However, due to the lack of witnesses, the authorities release the gang leader, undermining Wong's effort. The outcome exposes flaws in the local justice system.

The Shaho Gang torches Po-chi-lam in revenge. A Jesuit priest identifies the gang, who flees and seeks shelter under Jackson, an American businessman. The gang begins aiding Jackson's trafficking operation by kidnapping Chinese women for America.

The Governor and Wong attend an opera when Shaho Gang and Jackson's men ambush them, aiming to assassinate the Governor. The plan fails, but many innocents are wounded or killed, including the Jesuit priest who sacrifices himself to block a fatal shot.

While tending to the injured at Po-chi-lam, an escaped Chinese laborer from America recounts the brutal treatment faced there. His story adds to the social critique and strengthens Wong's resolve to act for his people.

Iron Vest Yim arrives in Foshan and challenges Wong to prove himself. Leung Foon is fired from the opera troupe and leaves with Yim, setting up a personal rivalry and future rematch that will fuel future conflicts.

The Governor orders a manhunt for fugitives; Wong and his three apprentices fight to protect Po-chi-lam, but Wong ultimately surrenders and is imprisoned along with his apprentices. The arrest halts the planned rematch and escalates the stakes for Wong’s group.

The Shaho Gang abducts 13th Aunt and takes her to their base. Bucktooth So escapes and hurries to the prison to inform Wong, whose status earns the guards’ respect and leads to his eventual release.

Wong and his apprentices infiltrate Jackson's base to locate and rescue 13th Aunt. Yim confronts Wong in a rematch, but Wong defeats him; Yim is fatally shot by Jackson's men, and the Shaho Gang leader dies in a furnace duel during the ensuing chaos.

As the confrontation peaks, Jackson takes the Governor hostage. Wong kills Jackson by flicking an unused bullet into Jackson's forehead with his fingers, saving the Governor and ending Jackson's threat.

With the danger resolved, Wong accepts Leung as his fourth apprentice. The film closes with a group photo in Po-chi-lam, symbolizing a new generation of martial artists under Wong's guidance.