The Goddess (Chinese: ??; pinyin: Shénn?) is a 1934 Chinese silent film released by the Lianhua Film Company (United Photoplay). It starred Ruan Lingyu in one of her final roles, and was directed by Wu Yonggang. Today The Goddess is one of the best known films of China's cinematic golden age, and has been named by director Chen Kaige as his favorite film of the 1930s The film's title has several layers of meaning. On one level, it is a description of the nameless character played by Ruan Lingyu, who is equated with a protective goddess in the film. On another level, the title refers to her character's occupation, in that the Chinese term shennü, while primarily meaning "goddess," also was an old euphemism for a prostitute.