Based on Bai Juyi's poem The Song of Everlasting Regret, Li Han-hsiang's version of the Yang Kwei Fei story - one of Shaw Brothers' most expensive productions - was a visually splendid affair that took three years to produce. Eschewing realism, Li's award-winning art direction team filled every frame with meticulously crafted props and sets, giving audiences a visual feast for the senses. Showing that the flamboyant set designs are more than just decoration, Li brilliantly uses visuals to emphasize his themes, as evident in the scene of Princess Yang walking down a corridor from a flower-filled garden to a barren courtyard. Li also showcased his strength in portraying the female psyche with his depiction of Yang. This is clear in the final scene, when Yang exudes the aura of a commanding female heroine as she stands proudly above an audience of men just before her execution.

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