The Jade Pendant

The Jade Pendant is a 2017 historical Western drama directed by Leong Po-Chih. The film follows a tragic love story between two Chinese immigrants against the backdrop of rising anti-Chinese sentiment in the American West, culminating in the events surrounding the 1871 Chinese Massacre in Los Angeles.

In the 1870s, Peony flees her home in Guangdong to escape an arranged marriage. She and Lily are tricked into signing exploitative labor contracts, believing they are headed for a better life in America. Upon arrival in California, they discover the grim reality: they have been sold into servitude as “flower girls,” a euphemism for prostitution, for the powerful and ruthless Yu Hing, the Hong Kong Triad boss.

Peony, determined and trained in martial arts, fiercely resists her fate. Her refusal attracts Tom, an American-born Chinese man who works as a cook, the son of Mr. Wong, a laborer who worked on the First Transcontinental Railroad. A romance blossoms between Peony and Tom, a reversal of traditional gender roles, and together they marry and have a child, building a fragile happiness amid mounting danger.

Throughout her journey, [Peony] continues to wear a circular green jade pendant, a gift from her Grandma meant to provide luck and protection.

The threat remains from [Yu Hing], who is determined to expand his criminal empire in America and remains fixated on reclaiming Peony. His relentless pursuit forces Peony and Tom into a desperate struggle to protect their family.

Their personal turmoil unfolds within the volatile and racially charged atmosphere of Los Angeles’ Chinatown. The film depicts tensions between the Irish American police force, rival Chinese tongs, and white resentment, which ultimately erupt into mob violence. While the narrative centers on the fictional lives of Peony and Tom, their fates become interwoven with the real historical tragedy of the 1871 Massacre, when a mob of over 500 people stormed Chinatown, resulting in the lynching of 19 Chinese immigrants—one of the largest mass lynchings in American history.

The film was released on the anniversary of the massacre and was shot on location in Utah.

Last Updated: November 22, 2025 at 15:59