The Artillery of Qing Dynasty = Da Qing Pao Dui

Description: To the unknown heroes who sacrificed their lives for the country from 1840-1901. (Opening caption of the film) China is under threat by foreign powers such as Britain and France; these foreign ships, with canons directed at the mainland, can be seen in the horizon. Able men are prompted by the Chinese government to join battalions, needed to defend the country against the impeding foreigners. These men are promised 50 coins a day, but none of them have any idea of what they are signing up for. Rows and rows of men are given uniforms and they are told to forget their names, instead, they are assigned numbers or random characters which they will henceforth be known as. The narrative focuses on a battalion commanded by Yang Cheng-Xiao, who is revealed to be a kind and heroic leader. A woman, Yu-Shu, sneaks into the camp disguised as a soldier, she is exposed by a group of men who take pity on her disposition (she joined the army for the wages in order to buy a coffin for her father) and decide to protect her while she is in the battalion. The conflict of the narrative begins as the foreign fleets approach the shore; the battalion’s instinct is to attack and drive back the intruders, but they are commanded by the emperor to do so without opening fire (“by negotiating and showing good etiquette”). As the foreigners continue to make their way ashore, the Chinese army become more anxious; the cruelty and antagonism of the British and French are slowly unleashed. Commander Yang’s army decide to take action and go against the emperor’s order. What ensues is a bloody battle which can’t be won.