Huo Yuanjia (2002 TV series)
Encyclopedia
Huo Yuanjia is a 2002 Chinese television series based on the life story of Chinese martial artist Huo Yuanjia
. It includes a subplot based on the biography of Chen Zhen, a fictional student of Huo Yuanjia and protagonist of the 1972 film Fist of Fury
. The series was directed by Jia Yun and starred Vincent Zhao
, Wu Yue, Mei Ting
, Qi Yan, and He Yin in the leading roles. A sequel, Jingwu Yingxiong Chen Zhen
, was released later in the same year.
, China suffers humiliating defeats in battles against foreign powers, such as Britain and Japan, and is forced to sign unequal treaties and cede territories to foreigners. In Tianjin
, even though the martial artist Huo Endi
defeats his Japanese opponent in a leitai
match, his triumph is a Pyrrhic victory
as China had just lost in the First Sino-Japanese War
and its Beiyang Fleet
was completely destroyed.
Huo Yuanjia
, son of Huo Endi, travels to Beijing
to meet his father's friend "Great Sword" Wang Wu, and he is drawn into the affairs of the Hundred Days Reform unknowingly. Wang is a supporter of the reformists and he attempts to rescue the "Six Gentlemen", who have been imprisoned on Empress Dowager Cixi
's orders. Huo joins Wang in his quest but they fail and the six men are executed in public, while Wang dies a gruesome death later when he tries to avenge his comrades. Through his experiences, Huo Yuanjia begins to see the declining state of China and realises that China needs to change in order to survive in the future. Huo meets members of the Tongmenghui
, a secret society planning to overthrow the corrupt Qing government and establish a republic in China, and he supports them in their efforts.
Huo Yuanjia travels to Shanghai
later, where he founds Jingwu School
to groom martial artists to defend China from foreign intrusion and to boost national morale. Huo makes his name by defeating an aggressive Russian wrestler in Tianjin and an overbearing British boxer in Shanghai, upholding the dignity of the Chinese. At the same time, he meets the hostile Chen Zhen, who seeks vengeance on him. Chen's father was killed by Huo Endi years ago and since Huo Endi had died, Huo Yuanjia becomes Chen's target. Huo Yuanjia accepts Chen as his student and attempts to resolve their feud by enlightening Chen with his martial arts philosophy.
Huo Yuanjia's love relationships are also in a mess, as he is in love with both Qiyun and Nong Jingqiu, but both of them stand on opposing grounds. Qiyun is the daughter of Prince Rong, a Manchu
noble and primary enemy of the revolutionaries, while Nong Jingqiu is the sister of the revolutionary Nong Jinsun. Besides, Huo faces love rivals, as Watanabe Ichiro, a prominent Japanese consul, is also in love with Qiyun, while Zheng Yefeng, Nong Jingqiu's god-brother, also has a crush on his god-sister.
Huo Yuanjia
Huo Yuanjia was a Chinese martial artist and co-founder of Chin Woo Athletic Association, a martial arts school in Shanghai...
. It includes a subplot based on the biography of Chen Zhen, a fictional student of Huo Yuanjia and protagonist of the 1972 film Fist of Fury
Fist of Fury
Fist of Fury, formerly known as The Chinese Connection and The Iron Hand in the United States, is a 1972 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Lo Wei. It starred Bruce Lee in his second major film after The Big Boss...
. The series was directed by Jia Yun and starred Vincent Zhao
Vincent Zhao
Vincent Zhao Wenzhuo , sometimes credited as Chiu Man-cheuk, is a Chinese actor and martial artist. Zhao is best known playing the role of Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-hung in the Once Upon a Time in China film and television series.-Early life:Zhao was born in Harbin, Heilongjiang, China, as the...
, Wu Yue, Mei Ting
Mei Ting
Mei Ting - a renowned Mainland Chinese actress.-Early years:In the 1980s, at age 7, Mei Ting enrolled in the "Art Troupe of Little Red Flowers”, a famous art and performance group and school for talented children in Nan Jing, her home town. At age 9, she played a role in film The Moon in Moon...
, Qi Yan, and He Yin in the leading roles. A sequel, Jingwu Yingxiong Chen Zhen
Jingwu Yingxiong Chen Zhen
Jingwu Yingxiong Chen Zhen is a Chinese television series based on the story of Chen Zhen, a fictional martial arts student of Huo Yuanjia...
, was released later in the same year.
Plot
During the late Qing DynastyQing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
, China suffers humiliating defeats in battles against foreign powers, such as Britain and Japan, and is forced to sign unequal treaties and cede territories to foreigners. In Tianjin
Tianjin
' is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government...
, even though the martial artist Huo Endi
Huo Endi
Huo Endi was the father of famous Chinese martial artist Huo Yuanjia. Huo Endi was a well-known martial artist who served as a bodyguard for caravans travelling to the Northeast...
defeats his Japanese opponent in a leitai
Leitai
The lèi tái is an elevated fighting arena, without railings, where often fatal weapons and bare-knuckle martial arts tournaments were once held. "Sanctioned" matches were presided over by a referee on the platform and judges on the sides...
match, his triumph is a Pyrrhic victory
Pyrrhic victory
A Pyrrhic victory is a victory with such a devastating cost to the victor that it carries the implication that another such victory will ultimately cause defeat.-Origin:...
as China had just lost in the First Sino-Japanese War
First Sino-Japanese War
The First Sino-Japanese War was fought between Qing Dynasty China and Meiji Japan, primarily over control of Korea...
and its Beiyang Fleet
Beiyang Fleet
The Beiyang Fleet was one of the four modernised Chinese navies in the late Qing Dynasty. Among the four, the Beiyang Fleet was particularly sponsored by Li Hongzhang, one of the most trusted vassals of Empress Dowager Cixi and the principal patron of the "self-strengthening movement" in northern...
was completely destroyed.
Huo Yuanjia
Huo Yuanjia
Huo Yuanjia was a Chinese martial artist and co-founder of Chin Woo Athletic Association, a martial arts school in Shanghai...
, son of Huo Endi, travels to Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
to meet his father's friend "Great Sword" Wang Wu, and he is drawn into the affairs of the Hundred Days Reform unknowingly. Wang is a supporter of the reformists and he attempts to rescue the "Six Gentlemen", who have been imprisoned on Empress Dowager Cixi
Empress Dowager Cixi
Empress Dowager Cixi1 , of the Manchu Yehenara clan, was a powerful and charismatic figure who became the de facto ruler of the Manchu Qing Dynasty in China for 47 years from 1861 to her death in 1908....
's orders. Huo joins Wang in his quest but they fail and the six men are executed in public, while Wang dies a gruesome death later when he tries to avenge his comrades. Through his experiences, Huo Yuanjia begins to see the declining state of China and realises that China needs to change in order to survive in the future. Huo meets members of the Tongmenghui
Tongmenghui
The Tongmenghui, also known as the Chinese United League, United League, Chinese Revolutionary Alliance, Chinese Alliance and United Allegiance Society, was a secret society and underground resistance movement formed when merging many Chinese revolutionary groups together by Sun Yat-sen, Song...
, a secret society planning to overthrow the corrupt Qing government and establish a republic in China, and he supports them in their efforts.
Huo Yuanjia travels to Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
later, where he founds Jingwu School
Chin Woo Athletic Association
Chin Woo Athletic Association is a Chinese martial arts association founded in Shanghai on July 7, 1910, but other sources also cite dates in 1909. It can be found spelled in many ways - Jing Mo, Ching Wu, Jing Wo, Jing Wu etc....
to groom martial artists to defend China from foreign intrusion and to boost national morale. Huo makes his name by defeating an aggressive Russian wrestler in Tianjin and an overbearing British boxer in Shanghai, upholding the dignity of the Chinese. At the same time, he meets the hostile Chen Zhen, who seeks vengeance on him. Chen's father was killed by Huo Endi years ago and since Huo Endi had died, Huo Yuanjia becomes Chen's target. Huo Yuanjia accepts Chen as his student and attempts to resolve their feud by enlightening Chen with his martial arts philosophy.
Huo Yuanjia's love relationships are also in a mess, as he is in love with both Qiyun and Nong Jingqiu, but both of them stand on opposing grounds. Qiyun is the daughter of Prince Rong, a Manchu
Manchu
The Manchu people or Man are an ethnic minority of China who originated in Manchuria . During their rise in the 17th century, with the help of the Ming dynasty rebels , they came to power in China and founded the Qing Dynasty, which ruled China until the Xinhai Revolution of 1911, which...
noble and primary enemy of the revolutionaries, while Nong Jingqiu is the sister of the revolutionary Nong Jinsun. Besides, Huo faces love rivals, as Watanabe Ichiro, a prominent Japanese consul, is also in love with Qiyun, while Zheng Yefeng, Nong Jingqiu's god-brother, also has a crush on his god-sister.
Cast
- Vincent ZhaoVincent ZhaoVincent Zhao Wenzhuo , sometimes credited as Chiu Man-cheuk, is a Chinese actor and martial artist. Zhao is best known playing the role of Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-hung in the Once Upon a Time in China film and television series.-Early life:Zhao was born in Harbin, Heilongjiang, China, as the...
as Huo YuanjiaHuo YuanjiaHuo Yuanjia was a Chinese martial artist and co-founder of Chin Woo Athletic Association, a martial arts school in Shanghai... - Wu Yue as Chen Zhen
- Mei TingMei TingMei Ting - a renowned Mainland Chinese actress.-Early years:In the 1980s, at age 7, Mei Ting enrolled in the "Art Troupe of Little Red Flowers”, a famous art and performance group and school for talented children in Nan Jing, her home town. At age 9, she played a role in film The Moon in Moon...
as Nong Jingqiu - Huang Huiyi as Zhao Qiannan
- Qi Yan as Princess Qiyun
- He Yin as Wang Xiang'er
- Su Ke as Zheng Yefeng
- Chen Kai as Liu Zhensheng
- Li Zhenqi as Wang Wu
- Yue Yueli as Prince Rong
- Shu Chang as Ju'er
- Chu Chu as Yangzi
- Dingdang as Tietou
- Lu Xingyu as Watanabe Ichiro
External links
Huo Yuanjia on Baidu BaikeBaidu Baike
Baidu Encyclopedia is a Chinese language collaborative Web-based encyclopedia provided by the Chinese search engine Baidu. Like Baidu itself, the encyclopedia is heavily self-censored in line with government regulations....