When Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon director Ang Lee looks back on the famous martial arts film a quarter-century later, he can't believe what it took to make the Oscar-winning movie.

"I honestly don't know how I did it. The energy, the emotion, the scale — it's something I can no longer replicate. It's a hidden dragon in myself," Lee said.

He spoke before a special screening at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles on Friday, marking the 25th anniversary of the Chinese-language film.

READ MORE: Beijing afloat on April sea of films

The event was part of Raising the Lantern: A Celebration of Chinese-Language Cinema, a six-week series highlighting Chinese-language films submitted for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film over the past 35 years.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon received 10 Oscar nominations in the 2001 Academy Awards — then a record for a non-English language film — and won four, namely Best International Feature Film, Best Cinematography, Best Original Score and Best Art Direction. Lee was nominated for Best Director.

Janet Yang, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the first Asian American to hold the post, described Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon as a landmark achievement that continues to resonate globally.

"Lee's film is emblazoned in our hearts and minds as a singular leap in filmmaking," Yang told the audience. "Rooted in a distinctly commercial genre, it took visionary talent to elevate wuxia (martial arts fiction genre) into high art."

Set in 19th-century China, it tells the story of a legendary warrior (Chow Yun-fat) who entrusts his sword to his lover (Michelle Yeoh), only for it to be stolen by the mysterious Yu Jiaolong (Zhang Ziyi), setting off an epic saga of love, betrayal and redemption.

Enduring impact

In a pre-screening discussion, Lee reflected on the film's enduring impact and the diverse cast and crew that brought it to life.

"We had an incredible mix of talent from the Chinese mainland, Taiwan, Hong Kong and overseas Chinese communities," said Lee. "Together, we created something greater than the sum of its parts, what I called a pursuit of the hidden dragon within us."

Lee, who was born in the Taiwan region to parents from the Chinese mainland and later studied in the United States, described the film as a personal cultural exploration.

"My heritage is deeply rooted in traditional Chinese culture," said Lee, who has won Academy Awards for Best Director for two other films. "When making this film, I traveled across China — from the deserts of Xinjiang to bamboo forests in the south. I saw the blue skies, green waters and felt the spirit of the land. That spirit became part of the film."

For Lee, the character of Li Mubai portrayed by Chow symbolizes a restrained, idealized hero. "He's like a gentleman warrior, calm on the surface but with a storm within. That's the hidden dragon," Lee said. "Perhaps I was chasing an imaginary China — a place of elegance, depth and contradictions. And through this film, all of us came together to find that dragon."

Lee emphasized that Chinese martial arts in the film were more than stylized action, they were philosophy in motion.

"Martial arts reflect the Tao — the natural way of the universe. In Eastern culture, we believe in something bigger than ourselves. Harmony, restraint and respect guide our actions," he explained. "Even drinking tea or engaging in combat is part of that philosophical framework."

Yet, Lee admitted that his artistic sensibilities often blend the East and the West. "Though I come from the East and value harmony, my real talent lies in Western drama," he noted. "So, with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, I combined both philosophy and action, restraint and drama, all within the framework of a love story."

ALSO READ: Transcending barriers at film festival

The film's blend of visual poetry and martial arts redefined the wuxia genre for global audiences. "We didn't just make a martial arts film," Lee said. "We made a film about love, loss and longing about culture, identity and imagination."

Yang noted that the film's global success also sparked a resurgence in martial arts cinema. "Western audiences weren't familiar with the genre at that level," she said. "But Crouching Tiger changed that."

Audience members at the Academy Museum screening shared their appreciation. Among them was veteran Hollywood film producer Donna Smith, former president of physical and post-production at Universal Pictures.

"Crouching Tiger is truly one of my favorite films," Smith told China Daily. "It's a film with an enduring legacy that continues to unite East and West."

Another attendee, Rich Erickson, said the film feels fresh even after 25 years.

"The first time, I was captivated by the action," he told China Daily. "But now, I'm even more moved by the emotional resonance and the philosophy behind the martial arts. It's truly timeless."

Contact the writer at renali@chinadailyusa.com