<P> A multinational venture, the film was made on a US $17 million budget, and was produced by Asian Union Film & Entertainment, China Film Co-Productions Corporation, Columbia Pictures Film Production Asia, Edko Films, Good Machine International, and Zoom Hunt Productions . With dialogue in Mandarin, subtitled for various markets, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon became a surprise international success, grossing $213.5 million worldwide . It grossed US $128 million in the United States, becoming the highest - grossing foreign - language film produced overseas in American history . </P> <P> The film has won over 40 awards . It was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and won Best Foreign Language Film (Taiwan), Best Art Direction, Best Original Score and Best Cinematography . The film also won four BAFTAs and two Golden Globe Awards, one for Best Foreign Film . Along with its awards success, Crouching Tiger continues to be hailed as one of the greatest and most influential martial arts films . The film has been praised for its story, direction, and cinematography, and for its martial arts sequences . </P> <P> The film is set in 18th century Qing Dynasty China . Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun - fat) is an accomplished Wudang swordsman and Yu Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh) heads a private security company . The death of Mu Bai's closest friend and Shu Lien's fiancé, Meng Sizhao, complicates their feelings for one another . Mu Bai, after choosing to retire, asks Shu Lien to give his sword "Green Destiny" to their benefactor Sir Te (Sihung Lung) in Beijing . Long ago, Mu Bai's master was murdered by Jade Fox (Cheng Pei - pei), a woman who sought to learn Wudang skills . While at Sir Te's place, Shu Lien makes the acquaintance of Jen Yu (Zhang Ziyi), who is the daughter of a rich and powerful Governor Yu and is about to get married . </P> <P> One evening, a masked thief sneaks into Sir Te's estate and steals the Green Destiny . Mu Bai and Shu Lien trace the theft to Governor Yu's compound, where Jade Fox had been posing as Jen's governess for many years . Mu Bai makes the acquaintance of Inspector Tsai (Wang Deming), a police investigator from the provinces, and his daughter May (Li Li), who have come to Peking in pursuit of Fox . Fox challenges the pair and Sir Te's servant Master Bo (Gao Xi'an) to a showdown that night . Following a protracted battle, the group is on the verge of defeat when Mu Bai arrives and outmaneuvers Fox . Before Mu Bai can kill Fox, the masked thief reappears and helps Fox . Fox kills Tsai before fleeing with the thief (who is revealed to be Jen). After seeing Jen fight Mu Bai, Fox realizes Jen had been secretly studying the Wudang manual and has surpassed her in combat skills . </P>

What is the name of the sword in crouching tiger hidden dragon