The Monkey Goes West is the first entry of an epic, four-part screen adaptation of “Journey to the West,” a 16th-century novel recounting the efforts of a Buddhist monk and his magical companions to travel to India and bring back Buddhist sutras.

An assassin (Hwang Jang Lee) who operates for cold, hard cash is hired to take out a young martial artist and expert at Eagle's Claws, but first he must learn Eagle Fist to go after him.

Two orphans raised by monks are taught divine secrets of kung fu. As adults, one chooses the path of the monks while the other opts for the outside world. Aspiring barber and experienced kung-fu fighter Shang learns that his childhood friend, Siu Ming, has been framed for murder by an unknown villain.When Shang begins looking into the crime, he soon finds himself the target of an assassination attempt. They reunite to find their missing godfather and seek vengeance on his kidnappers. Who is behind all these crimes, and can Shang stop them?

Instructor Lin who is home from training the imperial troops for several years. He meets his wife and runs into his brother who has become a monk at the local temple. His superior Lord Gao, strangely decides to rape Lin's wife in the temple but Lin interrupts the crime. His brother is enraged and tries to kill Gao but Lin stops him with the help of Lin's training brother and old friend Lu who works for Gao. Lin is loyal to the Commissioner and will not do anything to harm his son. Once back at the Commissioner's house, Gao and Lu hatch a plan to discredit and eventually kill Lin all with the Commissioner's approval. The plan is put into motion and Lin is unjustly arrested for trespassing on imperial property.

A plump butcher student of Wong Fei Hung, Lam Sai-Wing gets into trouble with a rival kung-fu school known as Five Dragons. He is accused of raping the Head of that school's goddaughter and killing his son. Now Ko, the Head of Five Dragons, wants revenge.

The swordsman Zhang Zhen is injured in a misadventure and rescued by Eldest Sister of Changchun Sect, who has a crush on him. However, Zhang falls in love with the maid Yuenu instead, and conceives twins with her. The couple are killed by a group of evil pugilists later. The Eldest Sister is angry with Zhang Zhen for not accepting her and plans to make Zhang's children kill each other as revenge. The baby girl (Xiaolu'er) is saved by Zhang's friend, Lian Lanyan, while the male infant (Hua Yuchun) is taken away by the Eldest Sister. Lian Lanyan encounters the Ten Villains when he passes through Villains' Valley. He is overwhelmed by them and knocked out in a fight. The baby Xiaolu'er is taken away by the Villains, who surprisingly do not harm her, and instead intend to groom her to become the greatest villain ever. Eighteen years later, the twins meet each other by coincidence.

A handsome stranger strolls into a casino one evening and all but cleans out the house, beating 160-1 odds at dice by getting three of a kind. He informs beautiful proprietress Miss Cui that he actually came there for her and reveals himself as her betrothed, Luo Tianguang. The couple wed, but their bliss is interrupted when Luo agrees to help old friend Lun Liu defeat crooked gambler Hao Lishan, who uses rigged dice.

The leaders of the martial world are being attacked by a masked bandit. They accuse Yu Feixia (Lily Ho), but she asserts her innocence. Lu Yinan (Kao Yuen) and some of the other Golden Knights assist Yu Feixia in finding the real killer and the masterminds behind the plot.

Lone swordsman Jiang Dan-Feng (Wong Chung-Shun) is ambushed by a pair of bandits and quickly despatches them. One of them, as he is dying, asks Jiang to take his personal effects to his sister. This being a Wuxia film, our hero is bound by a strict code of honour, and he agrees. The bandit’s sister, Xiu Xiu (Shu Pei-Pei), is surprisingly forgiving and tells him that he got mixed up in a bad crowd of robbers before he died. As it happens, these self-same bandits are threatening to tear up the village at any moment, and Jiang prepares to defend it despite being despised by the town folk for killing Xiu Xiu’s brother.

After seemingly being rejected by the man she loves, Hua Pi-Lien attacks him and his family. But their entangles the nefarious bully Huang, a corrupt official, and two honorable martial arts masters.

18-year-old Ainu is kidnapped and sold to a brothel. Her good looks and wild personality make her very popular with the lustful clients, but also draw the lesbian attentions of brothel madam Chun Yi. Chun Yi teaches Ainu the ways of lust and the ways of kung fu, and Ainu becomes more and more similar to her captor. But rage at her treatment is still burning inside her.

Soon-to-be legendary director Chu Yuan had just joined the Shaw Brothers when he helmed this thriller of bickering bandits. Audiences loved watching three pairs of cunning male and female crooks trying to steal a million gold taels from the Fu Lai Treasury House...not knowing that one of them is actually an undercover hero. Even without him, there's no honor amongst thieves, so the double-crosses and deadly duels come fast and furious, all choreographed by Hsu Erh-niu.

Zhao Wuji, son of the leader of the Zhao Clan, embarks on a tragic adventure full of intrigue to avenge his father, who is beheaded by a traitor working for the rival Tang Clan.

After being implicated in the theft of the Jade Dragon Sword, Fan Ying is banished to the Dragon Swamp for 20 years. Now, 20 years later, the sword has been stolen again, and the members of Lingshan Clan are sent out to find the culprit. Among those is Qing-Erh, who meets a wandering swordsman searching for the long lost Fan Ying. Together they decide to enlist the help of the Dragon Swamp Master in their respective searches.