Wuxia

Since its literary inception in the pre-Qin era with "Han Feizi," "Wuxia" has carried and embodied the emotions and joys and sorrows of the Chinese people for thousands of years. As a representative figure of Chinese wuxia novels, Jin Yong elevated this uniquely romance to a global height. This year marks the 100th anniversary of Jin Yong's birth. To commemorate this, Tencent Video and Yaoke Culture have produced a series directed by Xu Bing, Deng Ke, Cao Dun, Zang Xichuan, and Yang Lei, with writers Xu Bing, Li Haishu, Huang Yanwei, Cao Xiaotian, Cheng Tingyu, and Luo Yiwei. The series stars Zhou Yiwei, Gao Weiguang, Chen Duling, Peter Ho, Hani Kezi, Ming Dao, Meng Ziyi, He Yu, Cisha, Bao Shang'en, Wang Hongyi, and Huang Yi (listed in order of appearance based on the storyline). The "The Legend of Heroes: Hot Blooded" series premiered on June 17, with the first 30-episode web drama "Iron Blooded Loyal Heart" inviting a new generation to experience the authentic essence of Jin Yong and the pure charm of wuxia culture. "The Legend of Heroes: Hot Blooded" continues the legacy of the first part of the 1983 version of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes." The…

In the hallowed realm of wuxia, where moonlit blades dance and honor collides with treachery, there exists a tapestry woven from starlight and secrets. It is a world where the clash of steel echoes through bamboo forests, and the scent of jasmine mingles with the tang of blood. Within this intricate web of fate, “The Meteor, Butterfly, and Sword” (流星蝴蝶剑) unfurls—a tale that transcends mere legend. The Meteor: Meng Xinghun’s Fleeting Brilliance Meng Xinghun (孟星舜), a shadow among shadows, strides across the martial world like a comet ablaze. His life, like that celestial wanderer, burns brightly but briefly. As an assassin, he wields his blade with ruthless precision, leaving behind a trail of enigma and whispered rumors. Yet beneath the cold steel lies a heart yearning for redemption—a desire to escape the cycle of violence and find solace in the arms of love. The Butterfly: Sun Xiaodie’s Fragile Wings Sun Xiaodie (孙小蝶) flutters through this tale, delicate as a butterfly’s wing. Her beauty captivates hearts, but her spirit harbors secrets. She dances on the edge of danger, torn between loyalty and desire. For her, love blooms like a forbidden flower—an intoxicating fragrance that defies the rigid rules of jianghu. In…

Everyone probably has a dream of martial arts, mastering the "Wave-like Subtle Steps", bringing the sword alone, and travel around the world. For most, such a situation exists more only in the Wuxia drama. However, in reality, there really is a girl who did. Her name, Yang Liu (杨柳). She is 24 years old this year and has spent 17 years practicing the stunt of crossing the river with a bamboo. On the bamboo, doing various difficult movements, dancing ballet and traditional Chinese dance. Come and listen to her story. Learn Du Zhu Piao for the first time Yang Liu, born in Zunyi, Guizhou, likes to dance since she was a child, and her dream was to be a dancer. However, she was born with a weak and petite body. In order to keep her fit, her grandmother, who is a member of the local Du Zhu Piao Association, started to take her to practice this skill. Du Zhu Piao (独竹漂, single bamboo rafting) is a folk skill in northern Guizhou. The ancestors who lived on the banks of the Chishui River learned to use bamboo to cross the river in order to overcome the inconvenience of transportation.But as the…

Wuxia (武俠), which is a type of Chinese fantasy with a lot of martial arts. It’s a lot of attractive people flying aroundwith swords using powers, and it’s amazing. What you see wuxia world in dramas, what you think is the ancient Chinese cultural ideal world is actually created within the last say a little bit over half a century in the 1950s. In this post, I am going to attempt to explain the rather complicated concept of Wuxia and Jianghu that even a lot of Chinese native people actually don't quite know about that. So if you're coming from a different cultural background and you don't speak the language it might be even more confusing for you to understand what jianghu. So first we have to understand the word Wuxia, and then the concept of Jianghu. Wuxia World in Chinese Dramas If you have been watching a lot of Chinese dramas, you may realize a large proportion of current Chinese dramas are of the period drama genre and within this genre. A large proportion is the Wuxia genre or versions that branch off from this genre or even if it's really a serious political or Romantic period drama, which…

After several unsuccessful adaptations of important Wuxia novels by Jin Yong, the Wuxia genre dramas has been continuously criticized. However, in recent years, the success of wuxia dramas such as "Sword Snow Stride", "Joy of Life", "Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty", and "Ever Night" has revived the genre. The market seems to have realized that traditional Wuxia dramas are a thing of the past, and breaking away from the Wuxia dramas of Jin Yong and Gu Long may bring about new vitality. According to incomplete statistics, there are as many as ten upcoming Wuxia dramas awaiting release in 2023, all of which break away from the traditional production approach and incorporate other elements such as time travel, idol, and spy warfare. Recently, the drama "Pledge of Allegiance", directed by Cao Hua with Li Yi as the chief screenwriter, starring Leon Zhang and Chen Ruoxuan as lead actors, and featuring Sun Yi in a special guest appearance, has started to air. It has received a lot of love from netizens since its premiere. One important reason for its high attention is the connection it has with the movie "Brotherhood of Blades". Brotherhood of Blades "Pledge of Allegiance" is an adaptation of…

In recent years, exciting Chinese anime productions have emerged, making great leaps in content and quality and gaining more and more recognition and love from anime fans. For example, the Wuxia anime The Legend of Qin, which is about to receive its seventh season, and the Xuanhuan anime Douluo Continent, updated to more than 200 episodes. The combination of Wuxia, Xuanhuan, and anime can be said to be perfect, with fantastic dueling images and heart-wrenching plots. Once you open the first episode, you will be immersed in it, and keep looking forward to the start of the new season. This article will list the Martial Arts and Fantasy Chinese Animation that will be released or updated in 2022. Bookmark this list, and we'll keep updating it here with exciting Chinese anime! The Degenerate-Drawing Jianghu Season 5 · 画江湖之不良人5 Also known as: Hua Jianghu: Bu Liang Ren V Period Background: Tang Dynasty Genres: Wuxia Anime, Action, Historical Aired: January 20, 2022 Episodes/Duration: 12/25min "Buliang Ren" is an officer who was engaged in detecting and catching theft in Tang Dynasty. The story of this animation is about the hidden treasure of Longquan by "Buliang Ren". In The Degenerate-Drawing Jianghu, the heroes of…

Wuxia clothing is a fantasy martial arts garment, and also called as xianxia clothing in immortal wuxia novels. In most cases, Wuxia clothes are made specifically for filming movies and costume TV series, so there are many kinds. Martial arts clothing is based on the traditional Chinese Hanfu Version (loose fit design and is worn left over right), but it is not a simple copy. Because there are few strict textual research on historical clothes, and designers can freely design them, most of the martial arts clothes we see in the film do not exist in history. Strictly speaking, it is a kind of modern clothing. Many excellent wuxia films and ancient Chinese dramas have good appearance, kungfu movements, and dancing beauty design. They keep innovating in following the ancient culture, the background of the times, the character's personality, etc. Both fabric selection and color matching are carefully designed to ultimate beauty and strive for perfection. It can be said that wuxia clothing is exquisite modern art. So let's explore the fantastic martial arts world through these beautiful wuxia clothes. 1. Xianxia Clothing Taoist xianxia novel is a new kind of novel style in recent years. It grew out of…

Currently, "Mysterious Lotus Casebook" is being aired in a landscape where martial arts dramas show some signs of improvement and mystery genres are booming. From the perspective of a Wuxia drama, "Mysterious Lotus Casebook" is filled with the essence of the martial world in its plot and story background. From the viewpoint of a mystery drama, each episode interconnects seamlessly, with a tightly-paced storyline and plenty of comedic moments that generate high levels of interest and public discussion. However, precisely because it has gained considerable popularity, its distinct characteristics have made it harder for this fusion between Wuxia and suspense genres to blend harmoniously. Since its premiere, "Mysterious Lotus Casebook" has sparked ongoing debates about which category it belongs to. Upon closer observation, certain aspects such as the overall story structure, character relationships, factional struggles within martial arts sects, and enigmatic case investigations appear overly straightforward or even somewhat misguided.   An orderly obsession From its content perspective, "Mysterious Lotus Casebook" is a costume mystery drama with elements of martial arts woven into it. The mysteries presented in each episode all stem from conflicts within the martial world rather than focusing on chivalry alone; instead they emphasize the intricate dynamics…

Recently, Who Rules the World (且试天下), wuxia drama starring Yang Yang and Zhao Lusi, is being broadcast on Tencent Video. This drama adapted from the novel of the same name by Qing Ling Yue, combines traditional costume, romance, and martial arts. In just one week of broadcasting, the cumulative viewership of Who Rules the World has already exceeded nearly 500 million. The kingdom is divided into seven parts, the emperor's family is the most honored. The person who has the Xuan Ji Ling (玄极令) can command six states. However, the disappearance of the Xuan Ji Ling has led the chaos, and the power-hungry heroes are out in force, they all want to be the first to find the Xuan Ji Ling and achieve their own supremacy power. Hei Feng Xi and Bai Feng Xi are also involved in it, they not only implicated in the huge power and conspiracy between the court and the martial arts world, but also write their own martial arts romance saga. In terms of plot, Who Rules the World is not based on historical dynasties, but the exciting game of court, the thrilling martial arts fighting scenes, as well as the sweet emotional scenes, can…

The Wuxia drama "Mysterious Lotus Casebook" has attracted a large number of viewers since its premiere with its innovative martial arts format. The seemingly outdated elements of the martial arts world such as martial heroes, inns, and sects have broken through the traditional boundaries in the drama. However, when it comes to martial arts, one cannot ignore the concept of the Jianghu (江湖, rivers and lakes) in Chinese culture. What exactly is the Jianghu?   How can we define the Jianghu culture? The term Jianghu seems to be a vague concept. People admire and yearn for the Jianghu, but it always seems difficult to define and is not considered highbrow. The earliest appearance of the term Jianghu can be found in the book "Zhuangzi": “相濡以沫，不如相忘于江湖。(Rather than leave them to moisten each other with their damp and spittle, it would be far better to let them forget themselves in their native rivers and lakes)” This phrase evokes a sense of imagination, encompassing the vast territories of the Central Plains, the four corners of the world, the rivers and lakes that crisscross the land. Gradually, the Jianghu has evolved into a metaphor for the world. The beauty brought forth by nature, the…

Wuxia (武俠), which is a type of Chinese fantasy with a lot of martial arts. It’s a lot of attractive people flying aroundwith swords using powers, and it’s amazing. What you see wuxia world in dramas, what you think is the ancient Chinese cultural ideal world is actually created within the last say a little bit over half a century in the 1950s. In this post, I am going to attempt to explain the rather complicated concept of Wuxia and Jianghu that even a lot of Chinese native people actually don't quite know about that. So if you're coming from a different cultural background and you don't speak the language it might be even more confusing for you to understand what jianghu. So first we have to understand the word Wuxia, and then the concept of Jianghu. Wuxia World in Chinese Dramas If you have been watching a lot of Chinese dramas, you may realize a large proportion of current Chinese dramas are of the period drama genre and within this genre. A large proportion is the Wuxia genre or versions that branch off from this genre or even if it's really a serious political or Romantic period drama, which…