The story of two kung fu masters: he comes from China's south; she is from the north. His name is Ip Man, the futur trainer of Bruce Lee; hers is Gong Er. Their paths cross in his hometown of Foshan on the eve of the Japanese invasion in 1936. China is in turmoil and the country's south teeters on the brink of partition from the north. Gong Er's father is a renowned grandmaster. He too travels to Foshan. The legendary brothel The Golden Pavilion, where the country's best martial artists converge, is to be the venue for his retirement ceremony.