His films like 'Raise the Red Lantern' and 'Ju Dou' intimately explore the constraints and hierarchies of traditional Chinese patriarchal society.

Works such as 'Farewell My Concubine' and 'Life on a String' deeply examine tradition, duty, and personal sacrifice within classical Chinese culture.

His contemplative films like 'A City of Sadness' and 'The Assassin' poetically capture the aesthetics and moral codes of traditional Chinese civilization.