The Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a film comprising of a mixture of action, fantasy, and romance that is appealing to all the audience regardless of the sex and age. In the film, the philosophies of the Chinese are introduced through actors Yu Shu-Lien, Li Mu-Bai, and Jen Yu. Jen, who is the daughter of a governor, is subjected to anger because she is destined for a marriage that carries a political mission. As a result, she runs away carrying a sword and derisively trounces almost everyone who comes near her. Nonetheless, the sorrow of Jen is as a result of Li’s death coinciding with the Buddhist saying “A butcher turns into a Buddha the instant he lets go of his cleaver, when an individual truly remorse for any wrong he has committed, he deserves to be a saint.” The Buddhist religion aims at cutting through the ego of a man and instead shows him the way into getting in touch with the nature of the Buddha.
Buddhism is not God-centered but man-centred because it conforms to the fact that life is all about suffering, which is caused by cravings. As a result, for an individual to overcome suffering, he or she must first overcome complaining, hatred, endless wanting, and craving. Li Mu-Bai, who acts as the head of the Wu Dong Clan, is an exemplification of Taoism in Chinese culture. After a continuous reflection and meditation in the Wu Dong Mountain, he finally resolves to give up his life of a great warrior. This is a reflection of the spirit of Taoism, which suggests that an individual will gain strength and power if he is in harmony with nature.
Yu Shu-Lien, who is as a martial mistress possessing a private escorting business, has a good impression with Li Mu-Bai although they hide their feelings from each other because Shu-Lien’s fiancé died while attempting to save Li. When Shu-Lien forgives Jen, it is a representation of the concept of Confucianism, which revolves around forgiveness.