In the film, nineteen-year-old Songlian (Gong Li) is to be the fourth wife of a wealthy businessman. The wives are in competition for the man's attention and its corresponding prestige; Songlian's independent mind clashes with the traditional ways of his family.
The red lanterns in the title refer to the lanterns hung outside the quarters of the wife with whom the master is sleeping that night.
The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1992.
Filming location: Pingyao, Shanxi Province.
See also: Cinema of China