The film is set in China in 1895 during the Qing dynasty. Wong Fei-hung travels by train from Foshan to Guangzhou; the capital of Guangdong; to attend a seminar on medicine. He is accompanied by his romantic interest Thirteenth Aunt and apprentice Leung Foon. The situation in Guangzhou is rather chaotic. On one hand, there are protests in the streets against the signing of the Treaty of Shimonoseki. On the other hand, the White Lotus, an extreme Xenophobia cult, goes around attacking Westerners and destroying everything regarded as alien to Chinese culture. At one point, 13th Aunt is almost captured by the cult when she tries to take a photo of them, but Wong shows up, fights with the cult members, and saves her.