Born in Vietnam, he goes to Hong Kong in 1966 for his secondary education and later to Texas, where he graduated in 1975. After working in the US as documentary director, newspaper editor and founder of a theater group, returned to Hong Kong in 1977 to work as TV producer and director. After the success of the TV series "Gold Dagger Romance" (1978) he debuted as film director the next year with "The Butterfly Murders". In 1984 he founded Film Workshop movie company. Awarded with the Golden Horse for "All the Wrong Clues" in 1981 and the Hong Kong Film Award for "Once Upon a Time in China" in 1991. In 1997 Tsui debuted in the USA with "Double Team".
Wife: Nansun Shi