Chinese Wuxia Fiction: Learn the 10 Most Popular Stories Here!

Quiz:

1. Read a dialogue and then select the appropriate answer.

Linda: Nǐ zuì xǐhuān de wǔxiá xiǎoshuō shì shenme?
Linda: 你最喜欢的武侠小说是什么？

Tom: Wǒ zuì xǐhuān de xiǎoshuō shì dòu luō dàlù.
Tom: 我最喜欢的小说是斗罗大陆。

Linda: Zuì xǐhuān shū zhōng nǎge rénwù ne?
Linda: 最喜欢书中哪个人物呢？

Tom: Wǒ zuì xǐhuān de rénwù shì zhǔjué táng sān.
Tom: 我最喜欢的人物是主角唐三。

What does the underlined word "主角 (zhǔjué)"mean in the dialogue?

A. protagonist
B. heroine
C. antagonist
See Answer Analysis

If you are not sure about the answer, please read the following text first and then try again.

Bookstores and online stores have begun carrying an increasing amount of "武侠 (Wǔxiá)" novels from China. Readers internationally are taking a keen interest in this genre of fantasy literature.

So, what is "Wuxia fiction" and why is it gaining in popularity throughout the world? Heroes and protagonists in Wuxia novels are considered the "Robin Hood" characters of Chinese culture, often originating from the lower classes and fighting for justice against oppressors and aggressors. They are classic tales of the introverted and humble "everyday" hero fighting against the corrupt powers.

Like many parts of Chinese culture, Wuxia fiction has a history that goes back thousands of years. While the stories passed down have changed and adapted throughout the generations, the themes have remained the same. The tales have influenced Chinese opera, music, folklore, and more recently, TV series and even video games. Although the popularity of Wuxia has endured, the stories are still usually set in ancient China, although the themes have influenced stories set in modern times as well. In the ancient stories, plots are often fantastical- plotting an evil world against the world of humans. These are still common in today’s online Wuxia stories.

I’d like to introduce to you 10 iconic and famous Wuxia novels for those of you who would like to explore this genre of literature. These novels are a great place to start if you are entering the world of Wuxia! Here we go:

1. 斗罗大陆 (Dòu Luó DàLù) Combat Continent

Description
This novel tells the story of Tang San, a student of the Tang Sect, the most famous martial arts school in the world. By stealing secret, sacred martial arts doctrines, he realized his dreams. Tang San committed an unforgivable crime by stealing these. With his ambitions realized but living in shame, he jumped to suicide from "Hell Peak." He was reincarnated in another world, a world without magic, resentment and martial arts. However, he had retained his martial arts knowledge from his previous life.

Can he recast the glory of Tang clan in this new environment? With the new road, a new legend begins... Read More

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Why Chinese People Have 2 "Things" Instead of 1

In English the word "thing" is quite vague and can imply animate and inanimate objects as well as concepts and general life transactions. For example if I were to say, "The thing is, that thing I was thinking about made me drop the thing." It covers, well… a lot of things. Thankfully, in Chinese "thing" is a little more defined according to its intended purpose. There is a word to describe people, animals, and object "things" as well as a different word to describe life affairs and more conceptual "things." Since we already know the difference between "néng" and "kěyǐ" and the difference between "néng" and "huì". Let's learn the difference between "东西 (dōngxi) thing" and "事情 (shìqing) matter."

The word "东西 (dōngxi) thing" literally means "east-west." It originates from the Eastern Han Dynasty, which had two capital cities. There was a western one in Chang’an, which is modern day Xi'an, and an eastern one slightly to the northeast in Luoyang. These were the two main places during the period where people went to shop and trade goods. When people shopped at Luoyang, they referred to it as "buying East", and when in Chang’an, it became "buying West." Put together, shopping for "things" itself became "buying East-West", or in Chinese, "mai dongxi."

Therefore, this version of "thing" only refers to various concrete or tangible things, or things you can buy.

To make it clear, "东西 (dōngxi) thing" is used especially for people or animals and objects. You use this version to ask about preferences or items. The word you would use for the question, "What thing do you like best at the zoo?" is "东西 (dōngxi) thing" because... Read More

Quiz:
1. Please choose the correct answer to fill in the blank.

Qǐng nǐ búyào zàishuō nà jiàn bù hǎo de ______ le.
请你不要再说那件不好的 _____ 了。

A. 东西 (Dōngxi)

B. 事情 (Shìqing)

C. 事故 (Shìgù)

See Answer Analysis

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