Budai was a Chinese monk who is often identified with and venerated as Maitreya Buddha in Chan Buddhism. With the spread of Chan Buddhism, he also came to be venerated in Vietnam, Korea, and Japan. He is said to have lived around the 10th century CE in the Wuyue kingdom. His name literally means "cloth sack", and refers to the bag that he is conventionally depicted as carrying as he wanders aimlessly. His jolly nature, humorous personality, and eccentric lifestyle distinguish him from most Buddhist masters or figures. He is almost always shown smiling or laughing, hence his nickname in Chinese, the "Laughing Buddha". As he is traditionally depicted as overweight and many stories surrounding Budai involve his love of food and drink, he is also referred to as the "Fat Buddha", especially in the Western world.
Lü Dongbin is a legendary Chinese scholar and poet said to have lived during the Tang dynasty. Whether he actually lived the two hundred and twenty years cannot be determined. Elevated to the status of an immortal in the Chinese cultural sphere by Daoists, he is one of the most widely known of the group of deities known as the Eight Immortals. Lü is also a historical figure and mentioned in the official history book History of Song. He is widely considered to be one of the earliest masters of neidan, or internal alchemy. He is also depicted in art dressed as a scholar carrying a sword to dispel evil spirits.
Han Xiangzi, courtesy name Qingfu or Beizhu, is a Chinese mythological figure and one of the Eight Immortals in the Taoist pantheon. He studied Taoist magical arts under the tutelage of Lü Dongbin, another of the Eight Immortals. Han Xiangzi is often depicted carrying a dizi, so he is also regarded as the patron deity of flutists. He is also believed to be the composer of the Taoist musical piece Tian Hua Yin (天花引).
Shaolin Kung Fu, also called Shaolin Wushu, or Shaolin quan, is one of the oldest, largest, and most famous styles of wushu, or kung fu of Chan Buddhism. It combines Ch'an philosophy and martial arts and originated and was developed in the Shaolin Temple in Henan province, Greater China during its 1500-year history. Popular sayings in Chinese folklore related to this practice include "All martial arts under heaven originated from Shaolin" and "Shaolin kung fu is the best under heaven," indicating the influence of Shaolin kung fu among martial arts. The name Shaolin is also used as a brand for the so-called external styles of kung fu. Many styles in southern and northern China use the name Shaolin.
Li Yu, also known as Li Liweng, was a Chinese playwright, novelist and publisher.
Sha Wujing is one of the three disciples of the Buddhist pilgrim Tang Sanzang in the 16th century novel Journey to the West written by Wu Cheng'en in the Ming dynasty, although versions of his character predate the Ming novel. In the source novel, his background is the least developed of the pilgrims, and he contributes the least to their efforts.
Liuhebafaquan is an internal Chinese martial art. It has been called "Xinyi Liuhebafa" 心意六合八法拳 and is also referred to as "water boxing" due to its principles.
Fujian White Crane, also known as White Crane Style is a Southern Chinese martial art that originated in Yongchun County, Fujian (福建) province. According to oral tradition, the style was developed by Fang Qiniang, a female martial artist. It is associated with traditional fighting techniques, including long range, but is most similar to close-quarter or hand-to-hand combat. It is most recognizable by the way the fighter imitates a bird's pecking or flapping of wings. While some white crane styles make use of traditional weapons, others have discontinued the use of weaponry.
Sex and Zen is a 1991 Hong Kong erotic sex comedy film directed by Michael Mak, and starring Lawrence Ng and Amy Yip. The film is loosely based on The Carnal Prayer Mat, a Chinese erotic novel by seventeenth century author and playwright Li Yu.
Huaquan is a style of Long Fist Kung Fu (Changquan) which is believed to have originated in the Former Song Dynasty around the Hua Shan area of Shaanxi Province.
Sex and Zen II is a 1996 Hong Kong erotic comedy film directed by Chin Man Kei. The film is a sequel to Sex and Zen (1991), and it was followed by Sex and Zen III (1998).
Sex and Zen III is a 1998 Hong Kong comedy erotic film following Sex and Zen (1991) and Sex and Zen II (1996). The film is an adaptation of the Ming opera Yu Tang Chun (玉堂春) earlier adapted to cinema by King Hu as The Story of Sue San (1964).
Banned Book: Flesh Futon is a 1975 Japanese film in Nikkatsu's Roman Porno series, directed by Nobuaki Shirai and starring Hajime Tanimoto and Terumi Azuma.
The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber is a Chinese television series adapted from Louis Cha's novel of the same title. It is a final instalment of a television trilogy produced by Zhang Jizhong, preceded by The Legend of the Condor Heroes (2003) and The Return of the Condor Heroes (2006). Unlike the previous adaptations, this remake is the first to be primarily based on the third edition of the novel. The series was first broadcast on Wenzhou TV in China in October 2009.
3D Sex and Zen: Extreme Ecstasy is a 2011 Hong Kong 3D erotic costume drama film directed by Christopher Suen and produced by Stephen Shiu. It was released in Hong Kong, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand on 14 April 2011. It is a new instalment of the Sex and Zen series and is loosely based on the 17th century Chinese novel The Carnal Prayer Mat. As compared to the original film series, it is more dark and dramatic, and it occasionally pays homage to the humour of the earlier films.
Yuxiang shredded pork is a common dish in Sichuan cuisine. Yuxiang is one of the main traditional flavors in Sichuan.
Crisis and Transformation in Seventeenth-Century China: Society, Culture, and Modernity in Li Yü's World is a 1992 book written by Chun-shu Chang and Shelley Hsueh-lun Chang about the transition in seventeenth-century China from the Ming dynasty to the Qing as viewed from a scholar living during the transition, Li Yu. The book discusses the state, society, and culture of the time by examining Li Yu's life and writings. The book received Choice's Outstanding Academic Title Award in 1998.
The Deer and the Cauldron is a Chinese television series adapted from Louis Cha's novel The Deer and the Cauldron. It was directed by Lai Shui-ching, and starred Han Dong, Wei Qianxiang and others. The series was shot from September–December 2013, and first aired on Anhui TV, Sichuan TV and Yunnan TV from 20 December 2014 to 9 January 2015.
Liu Haichan was a Daoist xian who was a patriarch of the Quanzhen School, and a master of neidan "internal alchemy" techniques. Liu Haichan is associated with other Daoist transcendents, especially Zhongli Quan and Lü Dongbin, two of the Eight Immortals. Traditional Chinese and Japanese art frequently represents Liu with a string of square-holed cash coins and a mythical three-legged chanchu. In the present day, it is called the Jin Chan (金蟾), literally meaning "Money Toad", and Liu Haichan is considered an embodiment of Caishen, the God of Wealth.
Xiuta yeshi, translated into English as The Embroidered Couch, is a Chinese erotic novel composed during the late Ming dynasty by playwright Lü Tiancheng (呂天成) under various pseudonyms. Believed to be one of the oldest Chinese erotic novels, Xiuta yeshi was first published at around the same time as Jin Ping Mei. It has been constantly banned or censored since then, especially during the Qing dynasty. Literary critics have drawn attention to its obscenity and vivid descriptions of sex. A complete English translation by Lenny Hu was published in 2001.
