Born in Shanghai in 1958, Wong moved to British Hong Kong with his family when he was five. He began a career as a screenwriter for soap operas before transitioning to directing with his debut, the crime drama "As Tears Go By" (1988). While "As Tears Go By" was fairly successful in Hong Kong, Wong moved away from the contemporary trend of crime and action movies to embark on more personal filmmaking styles. "Days of Being Wild" (1990), his first venture into such direction, did not perform well at the box office. It however received critical acclaim, and won Best Film and Best Director at the 1991 Hong Kong Film Awards. His next film, "Ashes of Time" (1994), was met with mixed reception because of its vague plot and atypical take on the genre.