Oriental Heroes
Encyclopedia
Oriental Heroes is a popular Hong Kong
-based manhua
created by Wong Yuk-long, a writer/artist responsible for also creating a number of other popular manhua titles. It was created in 1970, and it continues to be published today. The book was the first Hong Kong manhua title based on action and fighting, often borrowing from the wuxia
literary world. It established a new action genre of Hong Kong manhua and spawned many imitators. The theme of its stories often revolve around brotherhood and the fight for justice. The 2006 movie Dragon Tiger Gate
was based on this manhua.
name. Its Chinese
name is pronounced in Cantonese, Lùhng Fú Mùhn . This name translates as "Dragon Tiger Gate" in English, and is in reference to the name of the fictional kungfu school and organization that is a major subject matter in the book.
s in Hong Kong fighting gangsters and criminals. The heroes of the stories exhibited antisocial behaviours, but routinely fought for justice. In the early years of the book's run, the fighting was very graphically illustrated. Various weapons were used, where spilled blood, internal organs, guts, and bones were shown in the injuries that the characters sustained. People criticised the graphic violence depicted in Oriental Heroes and other similar action genre manhua, eventually leading to the enactment of the Indecent Publication Law
in 1975, banning explicit violence in manhua.
As the Indecent Publication Law only applied to manhua, Wong Yuk-long established a daily newspaper, called Sàng Bou , with which to publish Oriental Heroes. In the first month of Sàng Bou's run, the newspaper published actual news together with various manhua titles, including Oriental Heroes on the back cover. After a month, Sàng Bou switched to a manhua-only daily newspaper. Oriental Heroes was published everyday in the newspaper, and a full week's stories were collected and published in book form every week. Wong Yuk-long changed the name of the book to its current name of Lùhng Fú Mùhn, with the English name of Oriental Heroes. He also explored less graphic means of depicting violence and altered his drawing technique.
Responding to the success of writer Ma Wing Shing's manhua, Chinese Hero
, Wong Yuk-long modified Oriental Heroes again in the mid-1980s. The drawing style began to use a style described by Tim Pilcher and Brad Brooks in their 2005 book The Essential Guide to World Comics as "more realistic," and the stories became more serious and less comical. After 1991, Oriental Heroes started being drawn by other artists instead of Wong Yuk-long himself.
means "Little Tiger". Since his father was Wong Fuk Fu, the more appropriate translation would be "Tiger Wong Jr". In Malaysia translations he is called "Tiger Wong".
At first, he only mastered Taming The Tiger Fist (Gong Zi Fu Hu Quan) and Tiger Crane Paired Form Fist (Hu He Shuang Xing Quan), both of which are his family kung fu. Later on, after meeting his eldest uncle, Wang Jiang Long, he was able to learn the legendary Wang Family's 18 Dragonslayer Kicks. As the story progresses, his kung fu skills are also developing, either by improving his current technique or learning an entire new skill.
Subsequently, he learns "Nine Suns" Chi kung. This dramatically raises the power of his moves.
". In Malaysia translations he is called "Wong Siu Long" or "Dragon Wong".
Even though he came from a family of martial artists he didn't learn the family kung fu because he was taken away by his mother at a very young age. Instead, he learned Eight Trigrams Palm (Bagua Zhang
) and staff style at the beginning of the story. After he's reunited with his brother and uncle he also learned the Wong Family's 18 Dragonslayer Kicks. However, he modified the style and using his hands-instead of his feet-to perform them. Later on he had a fateful encounter with the current leader of the Beggar Clan and was able to learn the original 18 Dragonslayer Palms and the Dog-Beating Stick Technique, greatly increasing his fighting skills.
and Russian
descent. Together with his parents and his younger sister, his family of four lived in Macau
. His father, being a Judo
master, attracted the attention of the evil organisation, Seui Gwat Muhn . Seui Gwat Muhn's leader invited Shi hei long's father to join his organisation, but shi hei long's father refused. The two fought, and Shi Hei Long's father mysteriously disappeared after the fight. Shi Hei Long's mother then led her family to find refuge in Cheung Chau
, under the protection of master Gam Mouh Si Wong . Shi Hei long usually fights using his nunchucks. His name means "Dark Dragon" or "Black Dragon". However, due to his blonde hair, in English translations he is called "Gold Dragon". In Malaysia translations he is called "Dragon Long". There are other names for Shi Hei long such as Turbo Shek, Shek Hak Luhng, Shi Hei Long, Dragon Shek and Rock Black Dragon.
In addition to be a formidable judoka, Shi Hei Long was also very good at playing nunchakus, two skills he mastered at the beginning of the story. Later on he got the chance the learn the legendary Shaolin Golden Bell Armor skill which greatly improved his power and endurance. As with other characters of the story his skills are also increasing throughout the story.
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
-based manhua
Manhua
Manhua are Chinese comics originally produced in China. Possibly due to their greater degree of artistic freedom of expression and closer international ties with Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan have been the places of publication of most manhua thus far, often including Chinese translations of...
created by Wong Yuk-long, a writer/artist responsible for also creating a number of other popular manhua titles. It was created in 1970, and it continues to be published today. The book was the first Hong Kong manhua title based on action and fighting, often borrowing from the wuxia
Wuxia
Wuxia is a broad genre of Chinese fiction concerning the adventures of martial artists. Although wuxia is traditionally a form of literature, its popularity has caused it to spread to diverse art forms like Chinese opera, manhua , films, television series, and video games...
literary world. It established a new action genre of Hong Kong manhua and spawned many imitators. The theme of its stories often revolve around brotherhood and the fight for justice. The 2006 movie Dragon Tiger Gate
Dragon Tiger Gate
Dragon Tiger Gate is a 2006 Hong Kong martial arts action film directed by Wilson Yip and featuring fight choreography by Donnie Yen, who also stars in the film. The film is based on the manhua Oriental Heroes, which bears the same Chinese title as the film...
was based on this manhua.
Name
Oriental Heroes is the book's official EnglishEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
name. Its Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
name is pronounced in Cantonese, Lùhng Fú Mùhn . This name translates as "Dragon Tiger Gate" in English, and is in reference to the name of the fictional kungfu school and organization that is a major subject matter in the book.
History
Oriental Heroes was first published in 1970 under the title Little Rascals . It featured stories about young people living in public housing estatePublic housing in Hong Kong
Public housing in Hong Kong is a set of mass housing programmes through which the Government of Hong Kong provides affordable housing for lower-income residents. It is a major component of housing in Hong Kong, with nearly half of the population now residing in some form of public housing...
s in Hong Kong fighting gangsters and criminals. The heroes of the stories exhibited antisocial behaviours, but routinely fought for justice. In the early years of the book's run, the fighting was very graphically illustrated. Various weapons were used, where spilled blood, internal organs, guts, and bones were shown in the injuries that the characters sustained. People criticised the graphic violence depicted in Oriental Heroes and other similar action genre manhua, eventually leading to the enactment of the Indecent Publication Law
Censorship in Hong Kong
Censorship in Hong Kong has been lax since 1970s when the British government negotiated the sovereignty of Hong Kong with the government of the People's Republic of China...
in 1975, banning explicit violence in manhua.
As the Indecent Publication Law only applied to manhua, Wong Yuk-long established a daily newspaper, called Sàng Bou , with which to publish Oriental Heroes. In the first month of Sàng Bou's run, the newspaper published actual news together with various manhua titles, including Oriental Heroes on the back cover. After a month, Sàng Bou switched to a manhua-only daily newspaper. Oriental Heroes was published everyday in the newspaper, and a full week's stories were collected and published in book form every week. Wong Yuk-long changed the name of the book to its current name of Lùhng Fú Mùhn, with the English name of Oriental Heroes. He also explored less graphic means of depicting violence and altered his drawing technique.
Responding to the success of writer Ma Wing Shing's manhua, Chinese Hero
Chinese Hero
Chinese Hero: Tales of the Blood Sword is a wuxia manhua series created by Hong Kong artist Ma Wing-shing. It is also referred to as Blood Sword, Blood Sword Dynasty, A Chinese Hero: Tales of the Blood Sword and A Man Called Hero....
, Wong Yuk-long modified Oriental Heroes again in the mid-1980s. The drawing style began to use a style described by Tim Pilcher and Brad Brooks in their 2005 book The Essential Guide to World Comics as "more realistic," and the stories became more serious and less comical. After 1991, Oriental Heroes started being drawn by other artists instead of Wong Yuk-long himself.
Main characters
The stories in Oriental Heroes mostly centre around three main characters who are leaders of the kungfu organisation and school, Dragon Tiger Gate.Wang xiao hu
Eighteen years old and with a strong sense of justice, Wang xiao hu ( Wang Xiao Hu) fights to protect the weak from those who would oppress them. He is both calm and courageous, fighting against powerful and evil forces without any fear. Being from a family of martial artists, he is a naturally talented fighter. His signature technique is the Wang Family's 18 Dragon Slayer Kicks, invented by his grandfather. Besides his family kung fu, he also invented a kicking technique named Leuih Dihn Sahn Teui ; the name of this technique translates to "Thunder and Lightning Kick". Wang xiao hu's nameChinese name
Personal names in Chinese culture follow a number of conventions different from those of personal names in Western cultures. Most noticeably, a Chinese name is written with the family name first and the given name next, therefore "John-Paul Smith" as a Chinese name would be "Smith John-Paul"...
means "Little Tiger". Since his father was Wong Fuk Fu, the more appropriate translation would be "Tiger Wong Jr". In Malaysia translations he is called "Tiger Wong".
At first, he only mastered Taming The Tiger Fist (Gong Zi Fu Hu Quan) and Tiger Crane Paired Form Fist (Hu He Shuang Xing Quan), both of which are his family kung fu. Later on, after meeting his eldest uncle, Wang Jiang Long, he was able to learn the legendary Wang Family's 18 Dragonslayer Kicks. As the story progresses, his kung fu skills are also developing, either by improving his current technique or learning an entire new skill.
Subsequently, he learns "Nine Suns" Chi kung. This dramatically raises the power of his moves.
Wang xiao long
Wong xiao long ( Wang Xiao Long) is twenty years old and is the elder half-brother of Wang xiao hu by the same father. Sentimental and a loner, he values righteousness but is an indecisive person. When he was little, his mother left his father after finding out that he secretly had married another woman-Wang xiao hu's mother. The heartache she suffered had caused her to die miserably, which caused him to be raised in the orphanage. Lacking proper care, he turned into a rascal, eventually becomes a gang member. As a gang member he even fought Wong xiao hu once, before they realised they were brothers. Although he was finally reformed and had a good relationship with his brother, Wang xiao long still unable to forgive Wong xiao hu's parents, whom he felt responsible for his mother's sufferings and miserable death. Wang xiao long's name means "Little DragonChinese dragon
Chinese dragons are legendary creatures in Chinese mythology and folklore, with mythic counterparts among Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Bhutanese, Western and Turkic dragons. In Chinese art, dragons are typically portrayed as long, scaled, serpentine creatures with four legs...
". In Malaysia translations he is called "Wong Siu Long" or "Dragon Wong".
Even though he came from a family of martial artists he didn't learn the family kung fu because he was taken away by his mother at a very young age. Instead, he learned Eight Trigrams Palm (Bagua Zhang
Baguazhang
Bāguàzhǎng is one of the three main Chinese martial arts of the Wudang school, the other two being Taijiquan and Xingyiquan. It is more broadly grouped as an internal practice...
) and staff style at the beginning of the story. After he's reunited with his brother and uncle he also learned the Wong Family's 18 Dragonslayer Kicks. However, he modified the style and using his hands-instead of his feet-to perform them. Later on he had a fateful encounter with the current leader of the Beggar Clan and was able to learn the original 18 Dragonslayer Palms and the Dog-Beating Stick Technique, greatly increasing his fighting skills.
Shi hei long
Eighteen-year old Shi hei long ( Shi Hei Long) is of mixed ChineseHan Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
and Russian
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
descent. Together with his parents and his younger sister, his family of four lived in Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
. His father, being a Judo
Judo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
master, attracted the attention of the evil organisation, Seui Gwat Muhn . Seui Gwat Muhn's leader invited Shi hei long's father to join his organisation, but shi hei long's father refused. The two fought, and Shi Hei Long's father mysteriously disappeared after the fight. Shi Hei Long's mother then led her family to find refuge in Cheung Chau
Cheung Chau
Cheung Chau is a small island 10 km southwest of Hong Kong Island, is nicknamed as the 'dumbbell island' for its shape. It has been inhabited for longer than most other places in the territory of Hong Kong, with a population of about 23,000 up to 2006...
, under the protection of master Gam Mouh Si Wong . Shi Hei long usually fights using his nunchucks. His name means "Dark Dragon" or "Black Dragon". However, due to his blonde hair, in English translations he is called "Gold Dragon". In Malaysia translations he is called "Dragon Long". There are other names for Shi Hei long such as Turbo Shek, Shek Hak Luhng, Shi Hei Long, Dragon Shek and Rock Black Dragon.
In addition to be a formidable judoka, Shi Hei Long was also very good at playing nunchakus, two skills he mastered at the beginning of the story. Later on he got the chance the learn the legendary Shaolin Golden Bell Armor skill which greatly improved his power and endurance. As with other characters of the story his skills are also increasing throughout the story.