Wuxia

Wuxia (武俠 [ù.ɕjǎ], lit. 'martial arts and chivalry') is a genre of Chinese fiction and low fantasy concerning the adventures of martial artists in ancient China. Although wuxia is traditionally a form of historical fantasy literature, its popularity has caused it to be adapted for such diverse art forms as Chinese opera, manhua, television dramas, films, donghua, and video games. It forms part of popular culture in many Chinese-speaking communities around the world. Although they are commonly described as a subgenre of martial arts movies, according to Hong Kong film director, producer, and movie writer Ronny Yu, wuxia movies are not to be confused with the genre in a strict sense. The word "wǔxiá" is a compound composed of the two elements wǔ (武, literally "martial", "military", or "armed") and xiá (俠, literally "chivalrous", "vigilante" or "hero"). There is a third element in wuxia, for a vigilante martial artist who follows the code of xia is often referred to as a xiákè (俠客, literally "follower of xia") or yóuxiá (遊俠, literally "wandering xia"). In some translations, the martial artist is referred to as a jiànxiá (劍俠) or jiànkè (劍客), either of which can be interpreted as a "swordsman" or "swordswoman", even though they may not necessarily wield a sword. Heroes in wuxia fiction typically do not serve a lord, hold military rank, or belong to the aristocracy. They often originate from the lower social classes of ancient Chinese society. A code of chivalry usually requires wuxia heroes to right and redress wrongs, fight for righteousness, remove oppressors, and bring retribution for past misdeeds.