😸 What is all this WuXia/ Xian Xia stuff ? 😼

Dear readers,

The following story is my attempt in writing a Xiān Xiá fiction containing mythological themes derived from Taoism, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Xiān Xiá is a genre often simply translated as "Supernatural fantasy hero", generally containing elements of supernatural beings and troupes such as the concepts of rebirth/ reincarnation and divine realms. However, the nuances of Chinese characters are much more complicated than “Supernatural fantasy heroes”. To gain a deeper understanding of the genre, we first need to breakdown the semantics of the characters 仙/Xiān and 侠/Xiá.

But before we get into the meaning of Xiān Xiá, there is another genre that you are probably more familiar with, 武侠/Wǔxiá (Martial arts) that is essential to understanding the nuances in this Chinese genre. If you have seen films such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Hero, Legend of the Condor Heroes, or Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre, then you probably have an idea of what a Wǔxiá world looks like and what kind of things the characters in these stories may encounter.

But what exactly is 武侠/Wǔxiá genre?

武/Wǔ is a character that depicts anything related to martial, physical, or anything that uses brute forces or combat.

To understand Wǔ, it's also important to know its counter meaning: 文/Wén. This is culture, literature, art, and anything that requires skills that can be developed; things that you do not fight but can be gained through studying. In old Chinese history, Wén was often more highly valued than martial skills, hence there is an abundance of well-known poets, scholars, and writers throughout Chinese history. However, if you carry both attributes of Wǔ and Wén, you would be regarded as a well-respected person. There is an old saying 文武双全/Wén Wǔ Shuāng Quán, that depicts a person that is skilled in writing, reading, and culture, yet at the same time well versed in martial combat. An old Chinese standard of what it means to be a 'gentleman' 🙇🙇🙇.

Now with 武/Wǔ established, let's first have a look at the second character, 侠/Xiá. The most simple way to describe Xia is a person of heroic nature. In these Wǔ Xiá films and dramas, you may notice characters with elements of chivalrous heroism. Therefore Xia describes a character, who is very skilled in 武/Wǔ, yet is also a person who follows their own morality that does not conform to the governmental monarch, which is usually associated with corruption and dysfunction. The Xia is free to follow their own initiative and moral conduct, especially to bring justice to evildoing, protect the weak from oppressors, reward and protect allies and seek vengeance for those that share the same mutual distaste for the government. In a western sense, a person like Robinhood is an example of a character demonstrating the traits of Xiá. Another important aspect to consider to grasp the essence of Wǔxiá is the concept of 江湖/Jiānghú.

In the most current Chinese culture, the superficial meaning of Jiānghú is Rivers and Lakes. You may be wondering, what do rivers and lakes have to do with anything related to martial arts? But if we are to look at the details, the Rivers and Lakes in the Wǔxiá world expand to the wilderness and freedom of the outer boundary beyond the common society and government interference. In ancient China, it is the place outside of the 庙堂/miào táng (temples and halls- the political or imperial system). Therefore when one venture into the Rivers and Lakes, they have entered into the wilderness where they are free to follow their own path.

This concept is very old. In fact, it goes as far back as the great philosopher Zhuang Zi (369-289 BCE). In ancient times he described Jiānghú as a life away from the common society where there is an essence of political structure and order that may cause unhappiness for some individuals who wished to pursue their own personal, political, and ideological freedom; away from bureaucracy. Essentially it is the life of a 'hermit'.

Interestingly, in modern times the focus of Jiānghú has moved away from its ancient origin. Instead, it has mostly centered around the Wǔ Xiá elements. Whether you are new or familiar with the Wǔxiá genre, it is important to know that the world and concepts of the ancient Chinese stories containing these heroic characters with extraordinary martial abilities that is prevalent in today's Wǔ Xiá culture are in fact based on a revolutionized form of literature that dates back in 1950's back in Hong Kong.

Let me share a little snippet of history for just a moment. Around the time of the second world war ending, it was a very difficult time in China. Many people left their homes and fled to Hong Kong during all the suffering and turbulence. It was during these times an editor name, Jin Yong, serialized the most influential stories that brought the foundation of the Wǔ Xiá genre that is so commonly seen today. Whether it is film, drama, or novel, all of the unique fighting styles, characters, alliances, gangs, politics, and world views and settings in Wǔ Xiá all stem from the works of Jin Yong. This ideal and mystical world of ancient China has now become a foundation of the Wǔ Xiá concepts that are so deeply embedded in the minds of Chinese people; sometimes regarded as fact in history when in truth this kind of world never existed. These stories were not to misrepresent ancient China, but more so a product of its time. When China was in crisis and when people were unsure of the future. This mythical and ancient world that contained Chinese cultural traits was created to serve as a cultural dream or perhaps a psychological longing for a shared identity. It goes without saying, even after half a century no matter where you are in the world almost all Chinese people can identify with this idea of Wu Xia and Jiang Hu. Like most things, over time the course of its creation Wǔ Xiá has transformed and evolved into different kinds of sub-genres. One of them is Xiān Xiá.

Now with Wǔ Xiá and Jiāng hú somewhat explained let’s dive into Xiān Xiá. But once again to understand these characters we first have to learn some prerequisite characters. First, we must understand the creatures and beings that exist in this genre.

So what are all these beings?

In Xiān Xiá genre the most common ones mentioned are: 神，人，妖，怪，鬼，魔，仙

神/Shén: Gods- Rather than a biblical sense of Gods, referring to Gods in a Greek or Hindu mythological sense is much more relatable. These beings have either attained Godhood from birth. They possess unbelievable powers and longevity. There are numerous kinds of Gods in Chinese Taoism originating from different walks of life.

In the modern web novel depiction of 神, some individuals gain godhood through extensive cultivation or Heavenly trials, although this did not exist in classic novels or in the traditional descriptions of 神.

人/rén: Humans- Despite being subjected to the seven emotions and mortality. Humans have the most potential in a diverse range of life-altering paths. Whether one is born into a family of gold and silver or born with nothing but rags. Humans can improve themselves through effort and changeability. This trait is rooted in Chinese values for a very long time, “王侯将相，宁有种乎/wáng hóu jiàng xiāng, níng yǒu zhǒng hū”—Emperors, Princes, and Generals, are not born but made. People have capabilities for attaining any possibilities so long as they work hard to achieve them.

妖/yāo: Demons/beast- Sometimes translated as monsters. These beings can originate from an animal or plant and after gathering spiritual energy they gain spiritual awareness and obtain a human form over time depending on their level of cultivation. A yāo is not inherently evil but often regarded as a dangerous being towards humans as they are still wired to their natural instincts.

怪/guài: Similar to a yāo, guài refers to inanimate objects that gain spiritual awareness. In many Xiān Xiá stories books, swords or strange artifacts come to life to provide characters with either useful information or threatening attacks.

鬼/guǐ: Ghost or evil spirits of a deceased person or being.

魔/Mó: Devil or fiend, these are the antithesis of 神. Usually, they reside in the underworld and practice demonic arts or forbidden techniques to attain greater power.

And finally, we have, 仙/Xiān. Depending on the choice of word, Xiān can be translated as Fairy, Immortal, or Celestial. Although the characterization of Xiān comes from the two radicals 人/Rén（person) and 山/Shān (mountain). If we go back to the ancient concept of Jiānghú, the ones that go into the mountains live in serenity and train their minds through meditation. Therefore, a Xiān is a type of being that exists through spiritual cultivation, therefore any of the beings previously mentioned, whether it is a human, Yao, Gui or Guai have the capability of becoming Xiān. In the old classic novel, Journey to the West, the Monkey king and his comrades encounter a variety of beings on their journey. These can be snakes, spiders, tigers, or flowers that take the form of a human after years of cultivating spiritual energy. In the case of a human that practices cultivation, their goal is usually to attain immortality. After many successful breakthroughs, they can become very powerful and transform as Xiān.

Western Fantasy vs Eastern Fantasy

Overall Xiān Xiá is a type of story that has stemmed from the Wu Xia genre but includes elements of mythology and a hierarchy of creatures, beings and realms. In contrast to western fantasy, all the creatures and beings in Xian Xia live in different realms rather than one world or central land. But this can vary depending on the storytelling. One thing to note about the Heavenly beings and Gods from Chinese mythology when it comes to status and position, is that those positions among the Heavenly court are based on the Chinese Civil Exam, where a commoner who wishes to receive an imperial title can take the exam and potentially become an official of the Imperial palace. Interestingly, this system did not exist in other countries, particularly in the west. As mentioned before, one of the Chinese traditions is that people have the capability for all possibilities, which means that regardless of your background; if you are a poor commoner, you can still climb up the ranks and receive a high position in the court. This value also applies to 神/ Shen and other Heavenly beings. A god's high rank is not determined by their power or strength, but by whether or not they received a title of high-ranking god. Naturally, the positions among the Heavenly court are determined by an individual's political aspiration rather than power structure and form of being or race. This is one of the major differences to consider when reading Xiān Xiá in comparison to western fantasy. In the colorful world of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, you can see the Elves are regarded as a highly powerful race with their magic and strength, in contrast to the Hobbits and humans. By birth, the elves are naturally considered much more powerful than the mortal men of Rohan. In western fantasy, the allies and enemies of the story are often established by race and species, which also contrasts the traditional Chinese tales, where allies and enemies can come from all forms and shapes. A fox demon can either help you or kill you. It is important to note that despite the mystical beauty and freedom of the martial world, it also a a place of brutality. Everyone is out to get each other. Someone's loss is another person victory, whether it is money, power, status, or vengence. Entering unauthorised freedom is the dangers of Jiānghú. Lastly, morality is not defined under a set of agreed values, instead each individual in Chinese novels possess their own vision for what is right and wrong. The decisions a character makes will dictate the progression of their path.

What do I want to do?

My Initial goal for writing this fiction is to introduce western audiences or anglophone readers to the myths and legends that I encountered growing up. Even though there are a vast number of novels, films, and TV drama series available, I would like to attempt to create a Xiān Xiá story of my own. Although this is a heavily Chinese-centred story, I have written it entirely in English. As a visual aid and artistic flare, I have also illustrated some passages throughout each chapter of The Path. This is just a personal choice in creating stylistic formatting for storytelling, I am still unsure whether or not this is an effective way to bring a story to life for the reader. Though I can provide readers with my own expression of how the world, characters, and scenes appear from the creator’s perspective. For contextual and semantic aid, I have provided footnotes at the end of every chapter specifically for linguistic concepts and phrases from the Chinese language that cannot be translated word for word. To maintain consistency in the writing, I have written the names of characters and places with the roman alphabet without the Chinese phonetic pinyin symbols.

With that, I hope you enjoy this Xiān Xiá story and will be thrilled to enter the world of The Path.🙏

THE PATH 》