The Cave of the Silken Web | 1927 | Fantasy, Adventure

Title: The Cave of the Silken Web | 1927 | Fantasy, Adventure Director: Dan Duyu Studio: Shanghai Yingxi Company Starring: Yin Mingzhu, Xia Peizhen, Wu Wenchao, Jiang Meikang, Zhou Hongquan, Dan Erchun Based on: Journey to the West by Wu Cheng'en Release Date: February 2, 1927 Runtime: 60 Format: Silent, black-and-white with tinted scenes; Chinese intertitles Country: Republic of China Language: Silent Genres: Fantasy, Adventure, Mythology --- Chapters: 00:00:00 Departure on the pilgrimage 00:12:00 Spider maidens’ hospitality 00:25:00 Tang Sanzang ensnared 00:40:00 Monkey King’s intervention 00:52:00 Burning the web and escape --- Summary: On the Buddhist pilgrimage to the West, Tang Sanzang and his disciples—Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing—encounter a lair of spider spirits who disguise themselves as maidens. Lured into their cavern, the monk resists their temptations while his companions attempt a rescue. Using trickery, martial skill, and fire, the disciples expose the demons’ true forms and free their master. The film blends fantasy spectacle with moral themes of restraint, deception, and spiritual perseverance, adapting a celebrated episode from Journey to the West. --- Background: Produced by the Shanghai Yingxi Company and released on February 2, 1927, this ten-reel silent feature is among the earliest screen adaptations of Journey to the West. Long considered lost, it was rediscovered in 2011 in the National Library of Norway, where a 1929 exhibition print preserved both original Chinese intertitles and added Norwegian ones. The surviving material—approximately three-quarters of the film—has circulated in restorations and special screenings, highlighting its tinted imagery, theatrical staging, and early special effects. --- Trivia: Yin Mingzhu, who plays the lead spider spirit, was a major silent-era star and was married to director Dan Duyu. The film was followed by a sequel, The Cave of the Silken Web II , which is believed lost. The surviving print shown internationally retains Chinese intertitles alongside Norwegian translations prepared for its 1929 Norwegian screenings. Modern presentations often feature live musical accompaniment, reflecting original silent-era exhibition practices. The film is frequently cited as one of the earliest, if not the first, feature-length cinematic adaptations of Journey to the West. --- Public Domain / Rights: Original Release: February 2, 1927 Original Studio / Distributor: Shanghai Yingxi Company Copyright Status: Public Domain --- Hashtags: PublicDomain SilentFilm ChineseCinema JourneyToTheWest DanDuyu YinMingzhu 1927 FilmPreservation Mythology Fantasy Source page: https: //commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Cave_of_the_Silken_Web_(1927).webm Direct media URL: https: //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b5/The_Cave_of_the_Silken_Web_%281927%29.webm