Hou Yao wrote, directed and starred in A Poet from the Sea (1927). It was shot in Stanley, Hong Kong. The surviving copy was only 23-minute long, but Hou Yao's romantic side was obvious through the scenic location and beautiful set-up. The love story between Poet (Hou Yao) and his lover (Lee Dan-dan) was pure and lyrical, a gem from China Sun Motion Picture Company (Shanghai) in the 1920s.

Hou Yao
as Ih Bing

Cho-cho Lam
as Yin Meizhen

Li Dandan
as Liu Tsan Ying

Wang Xieyan
as Meng Shi

Ge Lijiang
as

Yinqiao Yi
as Yin Xifu

Yansheng Fang
as Qin Yun

Buping Dai
as Shi Shaoqiu

Qichen Zhang
as Wen Yuyuan

Xizhang Ou
as Jin Dayou