LAN:
JOEY WANG was most memorable as the spirit who falls in love with a mortal in "A Chinese Ghost Story". She was one of the most popular Chinese actress n the 90s and was my seriously disappeared from the Chinese movie screen for seven years. Peony Pavilion is her first comeback movie. She plays a woman with traditional value yet rows to be modern and independent. LAN wants to rid herself of the feudal mentality of the old society and serve her country. She plays the hardened man in front of Jade but her heart is also vulnerable. When Shing (Daniel Wu) appears, she succumbs to her female instincts and is consumed by her passion for this man. On the other hand, she loves Jade and would risk everything for her but she cannot bring herself to tell Jade (Rie Miyazawa) the truth.

JADE:
RIE MIYAZAWA is now a legendary Japanese household name, she began her career in 1988. Aside from her popular photo books, she has performed in seven feature films, six stage plays and twenty-four TV dramas. For her work in "War for our seven days" she received critical acclaim from Japanese Gold Disk and Best Newcomer from the Japanese Academy Award. She worked with the great Japanese Director, Hiroshi Teshigahara in the title of Basara (Princess Goh). She brings beauty, depth and sensitivity to her character JADE, a famous courtesan in "Peony Pavilion," beautiful and admired by everyone. She marries into a wealthy family as a concubine who lived a luxurious but lonely life. Her tragedy comes from the transition of divinity and decadence.

SHING:
DANIEL WU began his career with "Bishonen" (directed by Yonfan). He has been involved with many films since then, playing the villain in "Gen X cops," the amnesic agent in "Purple Storm," Aaron Kwok's partner in "2000 A.D." and the undercover cop in "Undercover Blues". He has quickly become the hottest actor in Hong Kong's film world. The is his second film with Yonfan. Daniel plays SHING, the first man in Lan's life. He falls in love with Lan at first sight and almost changes Lan's fate. He pulls her out of her obsession with Jade but could not rid her sense of obligation to Jade. Finally, he ends his relationship with Lan and so dies the special love Lan experiences with a man.

Upon returning to Hong Kong in 1974, Yonfan gained increasing recognition as a fashion and portrait photographer. He published volumes like China Image (1980) and Tibet - A Distant Horizon (1981) of Beauty and Legend (1991). In 1984 he started to make films including A Certain Romance (1984), Lost Romance (1985), Immortal Story (1986), Double Fixation (1987), Last Romance (1988) and Promising Miss Bowie (1990), In Between (1993), Bugis Street (1995), Bishonen (1998), he worked with many of the great stars in Hong Kong Cinema including Chow Yun-fat and Maggie Cheung, his films have been invited to many international film festivals including Berlin, Toronto, Tokyo etc.

Mr Yonfan is made a Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur by the French Republic in 1997.

This is a movie about desire, about downfall of the noble house, with music of the opium, with feelings that is unfulfilled. Most of all, it is a movie about women in love. I believe that every woman should have a lady friend whom she will remember forever in her life, which is not necessarily lesbian love. All I hope is that my movie can touch the audience, open their eyes, let them see the other side of life, and help them strive for "truthfulness", "kindness" and "beauty".

Film directing is not a job; it is an eternal passion and contribution. To be an artist, one needs to have his own style, and it takes tolerance and sacrifice to preserve that style. I only wanted to make a film that shows my respect to the audience. Once I said to my two leading ladies.

"This is a movie of pleasure, because our life experiences already has art in it, if we truly present ourselves in front of the camera, that's art." I am not modest because I am confident, art requires confidence.