The Smiling, Proud Wanderer is a wuxia novel by Jin Yong. It was first serialised in Hong Kong in the newspaper Ming Pao from 20 April 1967 to 12 October 1969. The Chinese title of the novel, Xiao Ao Jiang Hu, literally means to live a carefree life in a mundane world of strife. Alternate English translations of the title include The Wandering Swordsman, Laughing in the Wind, The Peerless Gallant Errant, and The Proud and Gallant Wanderer. Another alternative title, State of Divinity, is used for some of the novel's adaptations.
Dugu Qiubai is a fictional character who is mentioned by name in three wuxia novels by Jin Yong. He does not appear directly in any of the novels because he lived in an era long before the events of the novels took place. Nicknamed "Sword Devil" to reflect his prowess in and devotion to the practice of swordplay, he attains the philosophical level of "swordsmanship without a sword", which means that he uses swordplay techniques in combat without the physical existence of a sword.
Swordsman II, also known as The Legend of the Swordsman, is a 1992 Hong Kong wuxia film very loosely adapted from Louis Cha's novel The Smiling, Proud Wanderer. It was the second part of a trilogy: preceded by The Swordsman (1990) and followed by The East Is Red (1993). Directed by Ching Siu-tung, Swordsman II starred Jet Li, Brigitte Lin, Rosamund Kwan and Michelle Reis in the leading roles. None of the original cast from the previous film return except Fennie Yuen.
Laughing in the Wind is a 2001 Chinese television series produced by Zhang Jizhong, starring Li Yapeng and Xu Qing in the leading roles. The series is an adaptation of Louis Cha's novel The Smiling, Proud Wanderer. It was first broadcast on CCTV in China in 2001.
The Swordsman, also known as Swordsman, is a 1990 Hong Kong wuxia film. King Hu was credited as the director but allegedly left the project midway, and the film was completed by a team led by producer Tsui Hark. The film is loosely adapted from Louis Cha's novel The Smiling, Proud Wanderer. The film was followed by two sequels: Swordsman II (1992) and The East Is Red (1993).
Dongfang Bubai, literally "Invincible East", is a fictional character in the wuxia novel The Smiling, Proud Wanderer by Jin Yong. He is the leader of the Sun Moon Holy Cult (日月神教), an "unorthodox" martial arts school. In his quest to dominate the wulin, he castrated himself to fulfil the prerequisite for learning the skills in a martial arts manual known as the Sunflower Manual (葵花寶典), and became a formidable martial artist after mastering those skills. His castration and supreme prowess in martial arts make him one of the most memorable characters in Jin Yong's wuxia universe even though he appears in only one chapter of the novel. His name has also become virtually synonymous with homosexuality and LGBT sexual orientations in Chinese popular culture.
Chu Liuxiang is the fictional protagonist of the wuxia novel series Chu Liuxiang Series by Taiwanese writer Gu Long. His given name "Liuxiang" literally means "lingering fragrance". Nicknamed "Daoshuai" or "Xiangshuai", he steals from the rich to help the poor and upholds justice in the jianghu. He has been portrayed in numerous films and television series adapted from the novel series by notable actors such as Ti Lung, Adam Cheng, Michael Miu, Richie Ren, Ken Chu and Ken Chang.
The Ancient Tomb School is a fictional martial arts school in the wuxia novel The Return of the Condor Heroes by Jin Yong. It plays a significant role in the early development of the protagonists, Yang Guo and Xiaolongnü. It was named after its base, the Ancient Tomb (古墓) in Mount Zhongnan.
The Mount Hua Sect, also known as the Huashan Sect, is a non fictional martial arts sect mentioned in several works of wuxia fiction. It is commonly featured as one of the leading orthodox sects in the wulin. It is named after the place where it is based, Mount Hua. The sect appears in three of Jin Yong's novels.
The Five Mountain Sword Schools Alliance is a fictional alliance formed by five "orthodox" martial arts schools in the wuxia novel The Smiling, Proud Wanderer by Jin Yong. The five schools specialise in swordplay and are based on the Five Great Mountains in Taoism: Mount Hua, Mount Tai, (South) Mount Heng, (North) Mount Heng and Mount Song. The alliance was initially established to counter the "evil" Sun Moon Holy Cult. However, as the story progresses, the alliance ultimately disintegrates due to mutual distrust and infighting.
The Legendary Swordsman is a Singaporean television series adapted from Louis Cha's novel The Smiling, Proud Wanderer. It was first broadcast on TCS-8 in Singapore in 2000. It stars Steve Ma, Fann Wong, Ivy Lee, Chew Chor Meng, Jacelyn Tay, Florence Tan, Chen Tianwen, Priscelia Chan & Zheng Geping as the casts of the series.
State of Divinity is a Taiwanese television series adapted from Louis Cha's novel The Smiling, Proud Wanderer. It was first broadcast on CTV in Taiwan in 2000.
The Proud Youth is a 1978 Hong Kong film loosely based on Louis Cha's novel The Smiling, Proud Wanderer. It was produced by the Shaw Brothers Studio, directed by Sun Chung and starred Wong Yue, Shih Szu, Michael Chan and Ling Yun.
The East Is Red, is a 1993 Hong Kong wuxia film. The main character in the film is loosely based on Dongfang Bubai, a character in Louis Cha's novel The Smiling, Proud Wanderer. The film was produced by Tsui Hark, was co-directed by Ching Siu-tung and Raymond Lee and starred Brigitte Lin, Joey Wong and Yu Rongguang. The film is regarded as a sequel to The Swordsman and Swordsman II.
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.
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.
