In 1852, Yulan, who was born from a family of eunuchs and was quite beautiful, was chosen to enter the palace and appointed as a noblewoman. However, due to a long-standing feud between the Yehnala family and the Aisin Gioro family, Yulan failed to gain the attention of the Xianfeng Emperor. Yulan think hard to get into the plan, and finally with a song of lingering sad ditty to attract Xianfeng, and then to win the favor. Afterwards, the clever and clever Yulan often accompanied by the emperor. A year later, Yulan gave birth to a son, Zai Chun, and was named Yi Noble Consort by Xianfeng, whose status in the palace was similar to that of the Empress. At this time, the Qing Dynasty was in a state of internal and external crisis. Britain, France and other eight allied forces attacked Guangzhou, Tianjin, and then directly to Beijing, the court was in chaos. Xianfeng adopted Yi Guifei advocate, ordered the Prince Sinhalese to lead the troops to defend the enemy. Eight Mile Bridge battle, the Qing army lost, all the soldiers killed in action. Xianfeng that rate of concubines and ministers such as su shun fled to the hot river palace, leaving his younger brother Prince Gong - yi in Beijing and foreign negotiations. Jehol Palace, Xianfeng ignore the government, but also from the whole day to seek pleasure, Zhangzhi Yi noble consort to read on behalf of. The arrogance of the British and French allied forces to deceive its mediocrity, by virtue of foreign guns and cannons, attacked the city of Beijing. Burning and looting everywhere, no evil, the world-famous "Garden of Gardens" Yuanmingyuan robbed empty, and put to the torch.

That said Li Hanxiang in the 70s in the Shaw Brothers studio shooting Qing dynasty drama "the city", although it is a studio set, but can show the former Forbidden City's magnificent style, the degree of realism straight to the top of the Beijing even marveled at the subsequent invitation to the director of Li to go to the mainland to shoot the "burning of the Yuanmingyuan" of the line. At that time, Li Hanxiang as the first non-leftist filmmaker to go to the mainland to make a film, backed by heavy political pressure, but out of homesickness and can go to the Forbidden City of Beijing in his lifetime to shoot on-site historical films of the Qing dynasty, coupled with the strong support of the Chinese government, and the rich Macao Ho Yin funded him to set up the "new Kunlun" film company, and ultimately, the great director Li! The pressure to produce even today, still not a warning to the people of the history of the blockbuster.

It is well known that Lee's costume movies emphasize historical evidence the most, but it is a pity that he used to be limited to film sets in Hong Kong, and even though the palaces and temples were made to look real, they were only imitations. While directing the "burning of the Yuanmingyuan" when the mainland government to open the door, open the Forbidden City and other places of interest and many precious relics for its shooting, naturally, Li Hanxiang like a fish out of water, a hundred officials on the court, military affairs, Mulan autumn hunting, Yuanming Yuan, all are on-site physical show, its grandeur, sense of history in the domestic film has never been seen before! At the same time, for that period of national shame, although Li Hanxiang's version of the interpretation of a combination of historical facts and wild history (wild history of the most obvious is the monk Lin Qin's anger and wildly wrestle Basha Li a), but the overall objectivity and impartiality, but also full of emotion: the British and French forces to represent the advanced civilization of foreign guns and cannons captured the ancient city of Beijing, but with the most barbaric means of looting and burning down the Garden of the Ten Thousand Gardens, the film narration is low and angry, the Chinese people watching the movie, the film is not a good idea. The movie's narration is low and furious, with three chants and three sighs, which is a natural heartache for the people of China.

Additionally, "Burning of the Yuanmingyuan" is a two-line structure, in addition to the beastly behavior of the British and French forces, the first half of the film with a large number of pages depicting the story of Cixi's fortunes, from the age of the young girl Yulan that is the beginning of the ambitions, to the palace door is not allowed to be favored by the loneliness and resentment, and then to the play charm to win the Yi Fei Fei name has the will to intervene in the dynasty, so that the history of the wild news mingled with the story is not only more twists and turns of detail Add vulgar interest, but also conducive to the characterization of Cixi. --Of course, this is also the usual style of Li Hanxiang.