The Development of Chinese Martial Arts Fiction a History of Wuxia Literature

Abstract

This chapter explains the role of Shaolin kung fu novels and movies in the construction of a national identity among the Chinese people. Wuxia novels and kung fu movies produced in the twentieth century functioned as important vehicles for the maintenance and reinvention of nationhood. They served 2 purposes: retrieving traditional Chinese culture and constructing a modern Chinese national identity. Equally the cradle of Chan Buddhism and a centre of Chinese martial arts, Shaolin was regarded as a symbol of indigenous virtue and strength and therefore became a popular theme in novels and movies. Chinese novelists and moving-picture show producers used legendary Shaolin heroes and Shaolin kung fu to invent a cultural identity, and aided the structure of a collective modern national identity among the Chinese.

Keywords

• Shaolin
• Kung fu
• Wuxia
• Novel
• Movie
• National identity

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Acknowledgements

I wish to thank Routledge for allowing me to use some parts of my monograph—A History of Shaolin: Buddhism, Kung Fu and Identity (2019)—in this chapter.

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Affiliations

1. Maynooth University, Maynooth, Ireland

   Lu Zhouxiang

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lu Zhouxiang .

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Zhouxiang, L. (2020). Shaolin, Wuxia Novels, Kung Fu Movies and National Identity. In: Zhouxiang, L. (eds) Chinese National Identity in the Age of Globalisation. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/ten.1007/978-981-15-4538-2_3

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• DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-4538-2_3

• Published: 05 June 2020

• Publisher Proper name: Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore

• Print ISBN: 978-981-xv-4537-five

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