Plot
During the late Qing dynasty, China has suffered humiliating defeats in battles against foreign powers such as Britain and Japan and has been forced to sign unequal treaties and cede territories. In Tianjin, even though Chinese martial artist Huo Endi defeats his Japanese opponent in a lei tai match, his triumph is insignificant as China has just lost to Japan in the First Sino-Japanese War, with Chinese naval fleet completely destroyed.
Huo Yuanjia, Huo Endi's son, travels to Beijing to meet his father's friend, "Great Sword" Wang Wu, and unwittingly gets involved in the politics of the Hundred Days' Reform. Wang Wu attempts to rescue the "Six Gentlemen" who lead the reformists after they have been imprisoned on Empress Dowager Cixi's order. Huo Yuanjia joins Wang Wu in his quest but they fail and the six men are publicly executed, while Wang Wu dies a gruesome death later when he tries to avenge them. Through his experiences, Huo Yuanjia realises that China needs to change in order to survive in the future. Later, he meets members of the Tongmenghui, a secret society planning to overthrow the imperial government and establish a republic in China, and supports them in their covert activities.
Huo Yuanjia travels to Shanghai, where he establishes the Jingwu School to train Chinese martial artists to defend China from foreign intrusion and boost national morale. He makes his name after defeating a Russian wrestler in Tianjin and a British boxer in Shanghai. At the same time, he meets the hostile Chen Zhen, who seeks vengeance on him. Chen Zhen's father had died in a fight against Huo Endi years ago and since Huo Endi is already dead, Chen Zhen turns on Huo Yuanjia to settle the feud. In an attempt to make peace, Huo Yuanjia accepts Chen Zhen as an apprentice and trains him in martial arts.
Huo Yuanjia's love relationships are in a mess because he is in love with Qiyun and Nong Jingqiu, who stand on opposing sides: Qiyun is the daughter of Prince Rong, a Manchu noble tasked by the imperial government to destroy the Tongmenghui; Nong Jingqiu is the sister of Nong Jinsun, a Tongmenghui member and co-founder of the Jingwu School. Besides that, Huo Yuanjia faces love rivals: Watanabe Ichiro, a Japanese consul, is in love with Qiyun; Zheng Yefeng, Nong Jingqiu's godbrother, has a crush on his godsister.
Mizongyi is a style of Chinese martial art based on deception and mobility.
Fist of Fury is a 1972 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Lo Wei and produced by Raymond Chow. The film stars Bruce Lee in his major role after The Big Boss (1971). Bruce Lee also worked as the film's action choreographer. In the film, Chen Zhen, a student of Huo Yuanjia, fights to defend the honor of the Chinese in the face of foreign aggression and also exact vengeance responsible for Huo's death.
Huo Yuanjia, courtesy name Junqing, was a Chinese martial artist and co-founder of the Chin Woo Athletic Association, a martial arts school in Shanghai. A practitioner of the martial art mizongyi, Huo is considered a hero in China for defeating foreign fighters in highly publicised matches at a time when Chinese sovereignty was being eroded by foreign imperialism, concessions and spheres of influence. Due to his heroic status, the legends and myths surrounding events in his life are difficult to distinguish from facts.
Fist of Legend is a 1994 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Gordon Chan, who also writer with Lam Kee-to and Kim Yip. The film also featuring action choreography by Yuen Woo-ping, and produced by Jet Li, who also stars in the lead role of Chen Zhen. It is a remake of the 1972 martial arts film Fist of Fury starring Bruce Lee.
Chin Woo Athletic Association is an international martial arts organization founded in Shanghai, China, on July 7, 1910, but some sources cite dates in 1909. It has almost over 80 branches based in 30 or more countries worldwide, where it is usually known as an "athletic association" or "federation".
Fearless, also known as Huo Yuanjia (霍元甲) in Chinese, as Spirit in Japan and as Jet Li's Fearless in the United Kingdom and in the United States, is a 2006 martial arts film directed by Ronny Yu and starring Jet Li. It is loosely based on the life of Huo Yuanjia, a Chinese martial artist who challenged foreign fighters in highly publicized events, restoring pride and nationalism to China at a time when Western imperialism and Japanese manipulation were eroding the country in the final years of the Qing Dynasty before the birth of the Republic of China. Li stated in an interview that the film was his last wushu martial arts epic, a point also made in the film's television promotions and other publicity.
Chen Zhen is a fictional character created by Hong Kong writer Ni Kuang. First portrayed by Bruce Lee in the 1972 film Fist of Fury, the character has been the subject of numerous film and television series, including remakes and adaptations of Fist of Fury. Many notable actors, including Jet Li and Donnie Yen, have portrayed Chen Zhen on screen after Bruce Lee. Although Chen Zhen's story varies in the different remakes and adaptations, most have an ending similar to the original Fist of Fury. Chen Zhen is believed to be based on Liu Zhensheng (劉振聲), an apprentice of Huo Yuanjia, a martial artist who lived during the late Qing dynasty of China.
The Great Revival, also known as Wo Xin Chang Dan, is a Chinese television series based on the conflict between the Yue and Wu states in the Spring and Autumn period. The Chinese title of the series is a Chinese idiom derived from King Goujian of Yue's perseverance in overcoming the odds to revive his fallen state of Yue and conquer the rival state of Wu. The series was first broadcast on CCTV-8 in mainland China in January 2007.
Huo Yuanjia is a 2008 Chinese television series loosely based on the life of the Chinese martial artist Huo Yuanjia. It includes a subplot about Chen Zhen, a fictional apprentice of Huo Yuanjia and the protagonist of the 1972 film Fist of Fury. The series was directed by Kuk Kwok-leung and starred Ekin Cheng, Jordan Chan, Zhou Muyin, Bryan Leung, Ding Li and Qu Yue in the lead roles. It was first released in 2008 and was later broadcast on various television channels in other countries in the following year. The sequel, Legend of the Fist: Chen Zhen, was released in late 2008.
Legend of the Fist: Chen Zhen is a television series based on the story of Chen Zhen, a fictional apprentice of the Chinese martial artist Huo Yuanjia. The series is a sequel to the 2008 television series Huo Yuanjia, with Jordan Chan reprising his role as Chen Zhen.
Jingwu Yingxiong Chen Zhen, also known as Legend of Chen Zhen, is a Chinese television series based on the story of Chen Zhen, a fictional apprentice of the Chinese martial artist Huo Yuanjia. The series is a sequel to the 2001 television series The Legend of Huo Yuanjia, with Wu Yue reprising his role as Chen Zhen.
The Rise of the Tang Empire is a Chinese television series based on the events in the Zhenguan era during the reign of Emperor Taizong of the Tang dynasty. The 50 episodes long series is directed by Zhang Jianya and written by Ah Cheng and Meng Xianshi. It was first broadcast on BTV in China in December 2006.
Wu Yue is a Chinese film and television series actor. Some of his more notable roles include Chen Zhen in Huo Yuanjia and Jingwu Yingxiong Chen Zhen (2001); Di Yun in Lian Cheng Jue (2004); Sun Wukong in Journey to the West (2011); Ariq Böke in The Legend of Kublai Khan (2013); and Wan Zonghua in Ip Man 4 (2019).
Justice Bao is a Chinese TV series starring producer Jin Chao-chun as the Song dynasty official Bao Zheng. The series ran for 3 seasons from 2010 to 2012. In addition to Jin, Kenny Ho, Fan Hung-hsuan and Lung Lung again reprise their iconic roles from the 1993 Taiwanese hit Justice Pao and the 2008 Chinese series Justice Bao.
Swordsman is a 2013 Chinese television series adapted from Louis Cha's novel The Smiling, Proud Wanderer. The series is written and produced by Yu Zheng, and stars Wallace Huo, Joe Chen, Yuan Shanshan, Chen Xiao and Yang Rong. Shooting started on 24 March 2012 in Xiandu, Jinyun County, Lishui, Zhejiang. It was first aired in China on Hunan Television from 6 February to 4 March 2013. The plot deviates significantly from the novel, with Dongfang Bubai depicted as a woman and having a romantic affair with Linghu Chong.
The Heart of Woman, also known as Women, is a Taiwanese Hokkien television series that began airing on SET Taiwan in Taiwan on 21 November 2012, from Mondays to Fridays, and ends on 21 November 2013, lasting one year with a total of 262 episodes.
The Perfect Match is a 2017 Taiwanese romantic comedy series. It was first broadcast on 3 March 2017.
Court Lady is a 2021 Chinese television series produced by Yu Zheng, starring Xu Kai and Li Yitong.
Word Of Honor, previously titled A Tale of the Wanderers (天涯客), is a 2021 Chinese costume streaming television series co-produced by Ciwen Media, and Youku, directed by Cheng Zhi Chao, Ma Hua Gan, and Li Hong Yu, written by Xiao Chu, adapted from the danmei novel "Faraway Wanderers" (天涯客) by Priest. It starred Zhang Zhehan and Gong Jun in the leading roles. The series aired on Youku from February 22 to May 5 with 36 episodes, plus a short bonus clip shows what happened after the end of the main series.
