Fifteen years after Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon created a national craze with an Oscar win, the sequel Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny is set to release on February 8, the first day of the Chinese New Year.

The sequel is the baby of renowned Chinese director and action choreographer Yuen Woo-ping, the mind behind the action scenes in the first Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

However, the film was not Yuen's first as he has had a hand in more than 200 well-known domestic and overseas action movies filmed since 1970s, from Jackie Chan's early movie Snake in the Eagle's Shadow to The Matrix and Kill Bill.

The new film brings back Michelle Yeoh as her character Yu Xiulian from the first film and Donnie Yen, who has become famous among action fans for his depiction of kungfu master Ip Man.

Reuniting with Yuen, this marks a return to film for Yeoh after years away from the big screen. At a press conference for the film held Tuesday in Beijing, Yeoh said she loved playing the character because she believes that Yu symbolizes women in China.

A China-US coproduction, the film involved more than 700 crew members from more than 20 countries and regions, with the minds behind Hollywood blockbusters such as the Hobbit coming together to bring this martial arts world to life.