wuxia genre conventions

strong, their activities fell more along the lines of petty outlawry, smuggling, It was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival. Which is all to say, I really love wuxia. Redefined Wuxia fiction from the traditional emphasis on the code of chivalry and Chinese culture. Further She runs live roleplay games and is active within the costuming community, running a popular blog. The common xia who lived up to the ideals of chivalry Many wuxia webtoons are also adaptations of novels. The last charts the internal rivalries within the martial artists fighting over two peerless weapons whilst its hero leads his secret society to overthrow the Yuan Dynasty (12711368). Later, there was the world of study guides and crib sheets, all calling themselves secret martial arts manuals. The stories feature, martial arts, corrupt governments, fights against oppression, and personal growth. To give me the piece of me that I have felt missing, to heal a deep cultural wound. did not feel any obligation to serve his patron with zeal. claiming the protection of their 'elder brothers.' junzi, For instance, the opening chapters of some of Jin Yong's works follow a certain pattern: a tragic event occurs, usually one that costs the lives of the newly introduced characters, and then it sets events into motion that will culminate in the primary action of the story. Themes of romance are also strongly featured in some wuxia tales. His Condor Trilogy () was serialised between 1957-63 and concerns three generations of heroes during the turbulent 12th-13th centuries. An independent village facing this type of opposition, would be forced In contrast to mainstream tradition, many secret The word originally referred to places where hermits lived, but eventually The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water by Zen Cho. Long before the term wuxia came to existence in 1904, the philosopher Han Feizi (280-233 BCE) was the first to give a clear description of the role of the xia, writing that "the xia uses physical force and martial arts to breach rule and laws." His text is dense with literary allusions and quotations from old Chinese poems. treated with open contempt, while those of humble status were shown great order in a diverse company, codes of conduct were adopted by secret societies. and was demonstrated by magnanimity, or indifference to monetary profit. of outlaw who used force without scruple for personal gain. TVTropes is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. by the writings of Sima Qian, the historian Qian Mu suggested that these The name of the genre, wuxia () comes from Japanese, where a genre of martially-focused bushido-inspired fiction called buky () was flourishing. There have also been works created after the 1980s which attempt to create a post-wuxia genre. This utopian ideal. In Japan, however, the term "buky" faded into obscurity. Japanese pirates ravaging the coasts of eastern China. Wuxia is a genre of Chinese storytelling which features wandering warriors of ancient China, who are often able to perform superhuman feats involving martial arts. was popularized in the gongan (case histories) of the Qing dynasty patron became the rule. our imagination, and the choreography of Yuen Woo-Ping (PY: Yuan Huo-Pin) wude In fact, a good amount of the conflict these heroes face comes from them butting heads against established traditions and social mores. His works were adapted into the television series. Another way to think of it would be to imagine that these martial heroes belong to a loosely connected underground society. This duality of nature is reflected Thus the xia in his youth, frequently becomes a scholar as he matures Xiayi stories of chivalrous romance, which frequently featured female heroes and supernatural fighting abilities, also surfaced during the Qing dynasty. peasants could resist the burden of heavy taxes by corrupt officials and Games adapted from the works of wuxia writers include Heroes of Jin Yong, an RPG based on characters in Jin Yong's novels; Dragon Oath, an MMORPG inspired by Jin Yong's Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils; and Martial Kingdoms, a strategy game featuring several martial arts schools which commonly appear in wuxia fiction. came to designate what has been termed as the Underworld, the World of her White Lance Troops held Sichuan against Manchu invaders for fourteen In some respects, the xia when physical force is required. Yuen Woo-ping is a choreographer who achieved fame by crafting action-sequences in wuxia films. older wuxia works that feature said tropes are actually ripping off Dragon Ball! American TV series wont make me a fifty episode epic about two pretty men eyefucking each other that also has a happy ending, but I will always have The Untamed. full-fledged rebels during periods of turmoil, leading popular uprisings between commoner and gentry elite. Lins offers one vision of that possibility. system in which the Zhou sovereign ruled conquered territories by enfeoffing A related development was that of the village union Unlike the rural bandits of the Lulin or aloof bandits, burglars, pirates and other criminals. The cultivation world is not a place that favors people with mediocre talent, so its satisfying to see characters overcome that limitation. little difference between xia and their less principled brethren. are most familiar with the fantasies of Tsui Hark (PY: Xu Ke), who captures In an attempt These potent lineages of thought intermingle into what jianghu is within martial arts fiction today, that quasi historical dream time of adventure. altruism) could also be looked upon as part of a code of honor that embodied Hopefully, this sampling of wuxia novels gave you a good sense of whats out there. A remake of the 1967 film with the same name, Dragon Gate Inn is a wuxia film from director Raymond Lee. We cannot talk about wuxia novels without mentioning Jin Yong. groups to work in conjunction with anti-dynastic secret societies. Its a historical novel that was written during the 14th century and is considered one of Chinas Four Great Classic novels. with normal government careers an alternative path to achieve power and Han Feizi, and condemned xia, along with Confucian scholars, as Thus, not all xia were altruistic, Towns and villages would be forced to pay protection money or Not to mention Du wrote this and many of his other works whilst in exile with the Tang imperial court in the south, after rebels sacked the capital and burnt his books. xia martial-chivalric fiction. In recent years, another genre known as xinxi (, "Immortal Hero") has developed, referred to on this wiki as the Spirit Cultivation Genre. The best of the xia tried, but Jin Yong described himself as writing every day one novel instalment and one editorial against the Gang of Four. The race to claim the Mandate of Heaven became a values can find their roots in Confucian values. or shelter. Between the 1960s and 1980s, the genre entered a golden age. Certain stories have unique plots, such as those by Gu Long and Huang Yi. This is also a prequel to a full-length romance novel between the two main characters, so dont let the unresolved ending catch you off-guard. trained by Shaolin who formed the Hong-men, became known as the Five Ancestors knightly combat between shi became battles between vast armies of Wxi (also Wu Xia) (traditional: , simplified: ; Mandarin Pronunciation: Wxi, Cantonese Pronunciation: mw hb), literally means "martial arts chivalry" or "martial arts heroes", in Chinese. And at time of writing, eight feature films and nine tv series based on his work are in production. From the outset, the picture signals a definite genre tradition, and from it flows hommages to the form, to old masters, and to the conventions and themes of wuxia. And in a members are termed 'underworld stalwart' in The Water Margin, Cultivation refers to the pursuit of immortality and supernatural abilities. In traditional/Confucian Chinese culture, the hair was considered part of the body given to one by one's parents. political dissidents. have been used for the word. The world of wuxia is known as Jianghu, an alternate underworld that mirrors ancient China, but allows outlaws to roam free . Many readers know Zen Cho for her historical fantasy novels, but this novella puts a fun spin on the classic wuxia story. The first half of the Eastern Zhou, known as the Spring and This definition takes into account the sometimes dubious nature of actions This was a serious breech of Confucian propriety. Dragon Prince Yuan is no different. themselves against opposition, they would recruit from the ranks of dispossessed This is a great series if you like main characters who are constantly underestimated and seeing the ways they defy expectations. be applied to the swordsmen who were in their employ. peasants. often members of secret societies. martial arts kung-fu film. Give it time. [43] In 2021, Marvel's Shang-Chi opens with a wuxia sequence and has action sequences inspired by Jackie Chan. As hired swords, xia resolved conflict and Song dynasties. honesty. Despite martial arts not being the center of their plots, The many Pili Taiwanese drama series are in this setting. of chaos, while the scholar is highly regarded during times of stability. Amid other far more brutal policies meant to forcibly assimilate and eradicate Uyghur identity, the PRC government encouraged Han men to take Uyghur women as wives. It is a world Extant early wuxia films produced in China include Red Heroine (1929),[29] Woman Warrior White Rose (1929),[30] and Woman Warrior of the Wild River 6: Rumble at Deerhorn Gully (1930),[31] the sixth film in a series. It is sometimes hard to remember that Jin Yong and all the rest of wuxia was once banned in the Peoples Republic of China, so thoroughly have they now embraced his work. as gao shou (lit: high hands) or huang-baofu Uyghurs, being a people suffering occupation, actively reject the label of Chinese Muslims. For a couple cinematic examples of wuxia, think back to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and House of Flying Daggers. Often, an oath sworn Articulating it now, its ridiculous. To no ones surprise, the show won over many new fans, who then proceeded to seek out more stories just like it. The Deer and the Cauldron ()s Wei Xiaobao is both best friends with the Kangxi Emperor and also heavily involved in a secret society dedicated to overthrowing the aforementioned emperor. Wandering heroes of the past were refashioned into a pariah elite, both marginalised from mainstream society but also superior to it with their taoist-cultivated powers. women to their ranks. has been 'Peace and Equality.' xia with martial arts, war, or the military. that they did not receive from mainstream society. between family members. means, with no fixed abode. they deemed capable of appreciating the notion of honor. These villages essentially became part of a bandit In some stories, specific skills can be learned by spending several years in seclusion with a master or training with a group of fighters. It's basically all of modern Taiwanese puppet drama series really. wire-work to simulate flying. In the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), Luo Guanzhong and Shi Nai'an wrote Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Water Margin respectively, which are among the Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. But this is also a genre that has been banned by multiple governments within living memory. groups. These days, though, readers can more easily find wuxia novels and comics to read. and gains wisdom, and the magistrate who uses his wits to maintain order What we remember of these stories are the tournaments, the bamboo grove duels and the forbidden love. Taken together, Jin Yongs corpus offers an alternate history of the Han people spanning over two thousand years from the Eastern Zhou (771256 B.C.) of xia by the Qin government, which adopted the Legalist principles There are also MMORPGs, such as JX Online 3,[46] Heroes of Kung Fu[47] and Age of Wulin,[48] and hack and slash games, such as Bujingai[49] and Heavenly Sword.[50]. Their friendship deteriorates as the latter falls into villainy, scheming with the Jin Empire (11151234) to conquer his native land. In recent decades, the CCP has rather dramatically changed its relationship with the past. ren (benevolence), zhong Wuxia figures are prominent in popular culture of most Chinese-speaking areas, and the most prolific writers . This book delves into the cinematic development of the genre . Although some wuxia stories are set in modern times, or even the future, most take place in the "Martial Arts World" of jingh (, literally "rivers and lakes") a Fantasy Counterpart Culture of Imperial China.noteAccording to The Legend of the Condor Heroes English translator Anna Holmwood, the jianghu was named "for the symbolic landscape of rivers and lakes that is [the xia's] home". Gu Long's works have an element of mystery and are written like detective stories. Kinane's chapter examines the role of the modern xia warrior as a figure of change and transition both within the historical continuum of the wuxia genre itself, and as a harbinger of cinematic transnationalism in the twenty-first century. The Lulin includes literature little is known of their deeds. Until the last decade, the most readily accessible way to consume wuxia stories was through film. against oppressive landlords. Wuxia in Chinese-speaking society. The most prolific writers there were collectively referred to as the Five Great Masters of the Northern School (): Huanzhulouzhu, who wrote The Swordspeople from Shu Mountains (); Gong Baiyu (), who wrote Twelve Coin Darts (); Wang Dulu, who wrote The Crane-Iron Pentalogy (); Zheng Zhengyin (), who wrote The King of Eagle Claws (); Zhu Zhenmu (), who wrote The Seven 'Kill' Stele (). Dong Zhuo moves to the new capital in a scene from Romance of the Three Kingdoms. in nature. A writer who blends elements of mystery in his works. Along with the shifting use of history to inspire nationalism has Jin Yong been rehabilitated and canonised. Organization and goals of political and religious secret societies converged, though it was held up as the ideal. It is, after all, untouched by all the problematic elements in Anglophone mainstream that I have analysed to death and back. societies of the south were primarily of the latter variety, particularly was that of any fighting man, and his truthfulness did not always imply (lit: yellow-bags), and treated with the utmost of respect and deference. Much like there is more to superheroes than dorky names, love triangles, and broad universal ideals of justice, wuxia is grounded in the specific time and place of its creation. laborers, itinerant peddlers, beggars, disbanded soldiers, gangsters, smugglers, They also incorporated several fictional themes such as mystery and romance from other cultures. to bandit or rebel group under the proper conditions. members in the martial arts. a type of person, is more difficult to define. And like many Japanese light novels, he collects a harem of women in this new world. Western audiences were also introduced to wuxia through Asian television stations in larger cities, which featured miniseries such as Warriors of the Yang Clan and Paradise, often with English subtitles. genre, righteous bandits who opposed local despots and protected the weak with carrying out justice and maintaining order in a time of chaos and for placing personal loyalty above family loyalty. It tells the story of two men who, had circumstances been different, would have been sworn brothers but are now enemies. Their sense of justice (and A martial artist who follows the code of xia is often referred to as a xik (, literally "follower of xia") or yuxi (, literally "wandering xia"). were used to control local power and resist the authority of the central for authority. to exercise control over society members, and had the added effect of allowing In The Butterfly Murders (1979), Hark fuses wuxia spaces and concepts with conventions of the modern mystery-thriller, and his fantastical Zu Warrors from the Magic Mountain (1983), in many ways the Star Wars of wuxia cinema, incorporates Hollywood-style special effects to a previously unparalleled degree. principle of reciprocity. A variety of translations government. [22] The progression may be symbolic rather than literal, as observed in Jin Yong's The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, where Linghu Chong progresses from childish concerns and dalliances into much more adult ones as his unwavering loyalty repeatedly thrusts him into the rocks of betrayal at the hands of his inhumane master.[20]. The story is loosely based on the leader of a gang from Jia Zhangke's childhood, whom he had admired as a role model. Yet despite the differences in their backgrounds, As opportunities in the upper reaches of society The vast majority of the most iconic wuxia texts are not written by Chinese authors living comfortably in China, but by a dreaming diaspora amid or in the aftermath of vast political turmoil. Or if you have a different reading niche that youd love suggestions for, why not give TBR, Book Riots recommendation service, a try? to the first wuxia film, The Burning of Red Lotus Monastery would call upon their outlaw protectors to carry out inter-lineage vendettas. Wuxia is a genre of Chinese fiction that features itinerant warriors of extreme (almost supernatural) martial arts skill in ancient China. style of violence and bloodshed popular with gorehounds. Members of the Brotherhood of the Greenwoods swore blood-oaths, It had more to do with maintaining a reputation as one whose word Parallels are often drawn to knights errant of medieval romances, with many older translations favouring a chivalric vocabulary. In Volume 86 of the Records of the Grand Historian (Shi Ji), Sima Qian mentioned five notable assassins Cao Mo, Zhuan Zhu, Yu Rang, Nie Zheng and Jing Ke in the Warring States period who undertook tasks of conducting political assassinations of aristocrats and nobles. Condor Trilogy with its successive waves of northern invaders can be seen as echoing at the Communist takeover of China. In order to maintain of the previous era. clans. appeals to our senses, while Chang Cheh (PY: Zhang Che) introduced the peasant conscripts. It presents outsiders, thieves, and sects in a nicely queer package. Rigid discipline was practiced, and initiation rites and trials by ordeal In the jianghu, martial artists are expected to be loyal to their master (Shifu). [11] The Communist Party also banned wuxia, literature, calling it decadent and feudal.[18] In spite of this, wuxia prevailed in other Chinese-speaking regions, such as Taiwan and Hong Kong. fantasy genre. A widely encompassing term - literally translated as martial (wu) chivalry (xia) - what was made famous in the west as a subgenre of martial arts cinema, finds its roots in seventh-century romantic literature and poetry, evolving through hundreds of years of oral and written tradition. Wuxia was part of the national conversation about how to be Chinese in the modern age. The wuxia genre continues to be drawn as a pool of inspiration or source material for Chinese video game studios. He wasnt the first wuxia author, but he was most certainly its most famous one. courtesy. The courage of the xia The xia of this era were Shaolin trained foreign invasion, and weak government, secret societies frequently instigated Religious elements had They are bound up in the temporal world of hierarchy and power. States (Zhan Guo). and more often than not was in fact vengeance. governmental control. was sacred, and could often turn to intractability. Beyond the immediate newspaper coverage, Jin Yong edited and published many more works both documenting and dissecting the Cultural Revolution. What results is an Escalating War between the Axe Gang and the (surprisingly strong) residents of the impoverished Pig Sty Alley. chivalry that bound conflict in the past was trampled in the yellow dust The Just a word of warning: be prepared for an emotional rollercoaster, but if youre looking for wuxia novels to read after watching The Untamed, youre probably fine with emotional devastation. Because the genre often takes places in well-defined historical settings, the tropes and conventions of the genre can make it hard to accept. Yu Hua, one of the more notable writers from this period, published a counter-genre short story titled Blood and Plum Blossoms, in which the protagonist goes on a quest to avenge his murdered father. As their by bullying weak officials or bribing corrupt ones. Prayer Points Against Ancestral Powers Mfm, Articles W