The film's success established Jet Li as the first Mainland Chinese star of Hong Kong, and later Hollywood.

[4] A remake of the film was released in 2011 titled Shaolin and starred Andy Lau, Nicholas Tse and Jackie Chan.

Several years previously, during the rebellions at the end of the Sui dynasty, the warlord Wang Shichong rules from Luoyang and has treacherously installed himself as Emperor of the East Capitol.

He is overseeing the bolstering of his riverfront defenses against the rival warlords on the opposite bank, close to the Shaolin Temple.

One day, after defending another prisoner, Jue Yuan's father draws the attention of the Emperor, who attacks him and personally kills him.

After he recovers, Jue Yuan joins the monks in carrying water from the river to the temple, which is kung fu conditioning.

He struggles, but is helped by a beautiful shepherd girl named Bai Wu Xia (Ding Lan), who is skilled at kung fu.

Jue Yuan learns that the Sifu is Bai Wu Xia's father and that nine years previously they fled the Emperor's soldiers, reaching the Shaolin Temple.

Jue Yuan declares that he will kill the Emperor, and he asks the Sifu to train him in Northern Shaolin kung fu.

The Sifu tells him that Shaolin kung fu is for defense, not killing, and that Jue Yuan isn't a monk.

Jue Yuan and Bai Wu Xia help Li Shimin, making their way past the Emperor's patrols in disguise.

Bai Wu Xia and an injured Li Shimin flee on a raft down the river, while Jue Yuan sacrifices himself to protect them.

He opens his folded palms to look at a jade amulet, recalling how Bai Wu Xia gave it to him as a token of her love.

[16] In South Korea, the film sold 294,065 tickets in Seoul alone[17] and set a box office record of ₩5.1 billion (US$6.57 million) grossed nationwide in 1983.

The film was largely responsible for turning the Shaolin Monastery into a major tourist destination, both within China and internationally.

It sold an estimated 490 million tickets at the Chinese box office, making it 1984's highest-grossing film in China.

[22] The first two Shaolin Temple films combined sold an estimated 990 million tickets at the Chinese box office.

A remake of the original film, Shaolin, released in 2011, stars Andy Lau, Nicholas Tse and Jackie Chan.