*Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon* literally means crouching dragons and hiding tigers, but here it does not merely refer to hidden heroes biding their time to rise and conquer, nor does it only speak of a lovesick tiger and a helpless dragon. The plot revolves around the two main characters: Yu Jiaolong, the daughter of a high-ranking official, and Luo Xiaohu, an orphaned youth who lives as a bandit.
The talented and beautiful lovers—highly skilled in martial arts, exceptionally brave, kind-hearted, proud in spirit, and aided by many—must ultimately part ways, unable to overcome the barrier of social class in marriage, or "matching family backgrounds."