Flowers of Shanghai

Name: Flowers of Shanghai
Genre: Drama
Released: 1998-10-05
Duration: 1 h 53 min
Rating: 6.9
Cast: Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Michiko Hada, Carina Lau, Michele Reis, Jack Kao

1998·Movie·NR·113 min·★ 6.9(113)

Drama

At the end of the 19th century, Shanghai is divided into several foreign concessions. In the British concession, a number of luxurious “flower houses” are reserved for the male elite of the city. Since Chinese dignitaries are not allowed to frequent brothels, these establishments are the only ones that these men can visit. They form a self-contained world, with its own rites, traditions and even its own language. The men don’t only visit the houses to frequent the courtesans but also to dine, smoke opium, play mahjong and relax. The women working there are known as the “flowers of Shanghai”.

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Where to watch Flowers of Shanghai in United States

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Click a service to open Flowers of Shanghai there. Availability last verified on June 20, 2026.

Where is Flowers of Shanghai streaming around the world?

Country	Streaming on	Rent / Buy
United States	Criterion Channel	Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies
United Kingdom	—	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video
Canada	Criterion Channel	Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Australia	—	Apple TV Store
France	Molotov TV	LaCinetek
Japan	FOD	Apple TV Store
South Korea	TVING	—

About Flowers of Shanghai

Flowers of Shanghai is a 1998 Chinese-language drama film directed by Hou Hsiao-hsien. The cast is led by Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Michiko Hada, Carina Lau. It has a runtime of 1h 53m. Viewers rate it 6.9/10 across 100 ratings. In United States, it is currently streaming on Criterion Channel.

Flowers of Shanghai was produced by 3-H Films and Shochiku and made in Taiwan. It was released on October 5, 1998, and carries a NR certification.

Director: Hou Hsiao-hsien
Writers: Chu Tien-Wen
Release date: October 5, 1998
Original language: Chinese
Age rating: NR
Status: Released
Country: Taiwan
Production: 3-H Films, Shochiku

#shanghai, china#brothel#courtesan#19th century

Flowers of Shanghai cast & crew

Flowers of Shanghai was directed by Hou Hsiao-hsien and written by Chu Tien-Wen.

The cast features Tony Leung Chiu-wai as Wang, Michiko Hada as Crimson, Carina Lau as Pearl, Michele Reis as Emerald, Jack Kao as Luo, and Rebecca Pan as Huang.

Behind the camera, the score was composed by Yoshihiro Hanno, cinematography is by Mark Lee Ping-Bing, and it was produced by Shôzô Ichiyama and Yang Teng-Kuei.

Is Flowers of Shanghai worth watching?

Flowers of Shanghai holds an audience score of 6.9/10 from 113 ratings, a solidly received drama films.

At 1h 53m, it's a standard feature-length watch.

If you enjoy drama, Flowers of Shanghai is worth a place on your watchlist.

How and where to watch Flowers of Shanghai

In United States, you can stream Flowers of Shanghai on Criterion Channel, or rent and buy it on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, and YouTube. Click any service above to open it directly.

Streaming rights change country by country and month by month, so the options above reflect United States today — switch your country at the top of the where-to-watch section to see availability elsewhere.