DRAMA . 1991 . 1h 45m . 6.8/10

Thousand Pieces of Gold_

"A testament to the strength of the human spirit."

In 1880s China, young Lalu is sold into marriage by her impoverished father. Rather than becoming a bride, Lalu ends up in an Idaho gold-mining town, the property of a saloon owner who renames her, China Polly, and plans to sell her as entertainment for the locals. Refusing to become a whore, Lalu ultimately finds her own way in this strange country filled with white demons.

Starring Beth Broderick, Michael Paul Chan, Rosalind Chao

6.8/10

Rating

1h 45m

Runtime

1991

Year

Updated Feb 16, 2026

Thousand Pieces of Gold poster

A testament to the strength of the human spirit.

In 1880s China, young Lalu is sold into marriage by her impoverished father. Rather than becoming a bride, Lalu ends up in an Idaho gold-mining town, the property of a saloon owner who renames her, China Polly, and plans to sell her as entertainment for the locals. Refusing to become a whore, Lalu ultimately finds her own way in this strange country filled with white demons.

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DROPTHE_ GOSSIP

Cast

Beth Broderick stars as Berthe in Thousand Pieces of Gold.

Beth Broderick →

Year context

Thousand Pieces of Gold was released 35 years ago in 1991.

Overview

In 1880s China, young Lalu is sold into marriage by her impoverished father. Rather than becoming a bride, Lalu ends up in an Idaho gold-mining town, the pro...

Thousand Pieces of Gold is a Drama, Romance, Western film with a runtime of 1h 45m.

CAST (17)

Beth Broderick

Michael Paul Chan

Michael Paul Chan

Rosalind Chao

Chris Cooper

Dennis Dun

Will Oldham

Kim Chan

Jimmie F. Skaggs

Jimmie F. Skaggs

David Hayward

CE

Chris Evans

Sailor #2

WF

Weili Fan

Sayan

Evan C. Kim

Freda Foh Shen

JM

John M. Hosking

Watkins

MM

Mary Matvy

Françoise

George Cheung

DETAILS

Release

April 26, 1991

Status

Released

Runtime

105 min (1h 45m)

Country

United States

Rating

6.8/10 (12 votes)

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is Thousand Pieces of Gold about?

In 1880s China, young Lalu is sold into marriage by her impoverished father. Rather than becoming a bride, Lalu ends up in an Idaho gold-mining town, the property of a saloon owner who renames her, China Polly, and plans to sell her as entertainment for the locals. Refusing to become a whore, Lalu ultimately finds her own way in this strange country filled with white demons.

How long is Thousand Pieces of Gold?

Thousand Pieces of Gold has a runtime of 105 minutes (1h 45m).

Who stars in Thousand Pieces of Gold?

The cast of Thousand Pieces of Gold includes Beth Broderick, Michael Paul Chan, Rosalind Chao, Chris Cooper, Dennis Dun.

What is the rating of Thousand Pieces of Gold?

Thousand Pieces of Gold has a rating of 6.8 out of 10 based on 12 votes on TMDB.

GENRES (3)

Drama Romance Western