Wong Fei Hung
113635
225971581
2008-07-16T07:26:38Z
Lawrencekhoo
461895
/* Early years */
{{chinese name|Wong}}
[[Image:Wong fei hung.jpg|thumb|right|An alleged photo of Wong Fei Hung. Some dispute this, however, pointing to the striking similarity to a photo of a man known to have been a ''son'' of Wong Fei Hung.]]
'''Wong Fei Hung''' ({{zh-tspcy |t=黃飛鴻 |s=黄飞鸿 |cy=Wòhng Fēihùhng| p=Huáng Fēihóng}}) (1847–1924) was a [[martial artist]], a practitioner of [[traditional Chinese medicine]], and [[revolutionary]] who became a [[Han Chinese|Chinese]] [[folk hero]] and the subject of numerous television series and films.
As a healer and medical doctor, Wong practiced and taught [[acupuncture]] and other forms of [[traditional Chinese medicine]] at 'Po Chi Lam' (寶芝林), his clinic in [[Foshan]], [[Guangdong|Guangdong Province]], [[China]], where he was known for his compassion and policy of treating any patient. A museum dedicated to him was built in Foshan.
Amongst Wong's most famous disciples were [[Lam Sai Wing]], [[Leung Foon]], and [[Ling Wan Gai]]. He was also associated with [[Chi Su Hua]], aka the Beggar So.
==Life==
{{Chinese martial arts}}
===Early years===
Legend has it that Wong Fei Hung was born in [[Foshan]] on the ninth day of the seventh month of the twenty-seventh year of the reign of [[Daoguang Emperor|Emperor Daoguang]] (1847). When Wong was five, he began his study of [[martial arts]] under his father [[Wong Kei Ying]], one of the [[Ten Tigers of Canton]]. To supplement his poor family's income, he followed his father to Foshan, [[Guangzhou]] and throughout the rest of Guangdong Province to do martial arts performances and to sell medicines.
Well within his youth, Wong began showing great potential as a martial artist. At the age of thirteen, while giving a martial arts demonstration at Douzhixiang, Foshan, Wong Fei Hung met Lam Fuk Sing, the first apprentice of [[Tit Kiu Saam]], who taught him the "[[tour de force]]" of [[Hung Gar#Iron Wire Fist 鐵線拳|Iron Wire Fist]] and [[Sling (weapon)|Sling]], which helped him become a master of [[Hung Gar]]. When he was sixteen, Wong set up martial arts schools at Shuijiao, Diqipu, Xiguan, Guangdong Province, and then opened his clinic 'Po Chi Lam' (寶芝林) on Renan Street in Foshan. By his early 20s, he was fast making his mark as a highly-respected physician and martial artist.
===Later years===
As a famous martial arts master, he had many apprentices. He was successfully engaged by Jiming Provincial Commander-in-Chief Wu Quanmei and Liu Yongfu as the military medical officer, martial art general drillmaster, and Guangdong local military general drillmaster. He later followed Liu Youngfu to fight against the [[Japanese army]] in [[Taiwan]]. His life was full of frustration, and in his later years he experienced the loss of his son and the burning of Po Chi Lam, an academy that went unsurpassed in martial arts competitions. On lunar year, the twenty-fifth day of the third month in 1924, Wong Fei Hung died of illness in Guangdong Chengxi Fangbian Hospital. His wife and two of his prominent students, Lam Sai-Wing and Tang Sai-King, moved to [[Hong Kong]], where they continued teaching Wong's [[martial art]]. Wong became a legendary hero whose real-life story was mixed freely with fictional exploits on the printed page and onscreen.
===As a martial artist===
Wong was a master of the [[Chinese martial art]] [[Hung Gar]]. He systematized the predominant style of Hung Gar and choreographed its version of the famous Tiger Crane Paired Form Fist, which incorporates his "Ten Special Fist" techniques. Wong was famous for his skill with the technique known as the "[[Shadowless Kick]]". He was known to state the names of the techniques he used while fighting.
Wong Fei Hung also became adept at using weapons such as the wooden long staff and the southern tiger fork. Soon after, stories began circulating about his mastery of these weapons. One story recounts how he defeated a 30-man gang on the docks of Canton using the staff.
Wong is sometimes incorrectly identified as one of the [[Ten Tigers of Canton]] (a group of ten of the top martial arts masters in Guangdong near the end of the [[Qing Dynasty]] (1644–1912). His father Wong Kei Ying was one of the Ten Tigers, but Wong Fei-Hung was not. Due to his heroic efforts in defending China's pride during a period when Chinese morale was at an all time low. Wong Fei-Hung is sometimes known as the "Tiger after the Ten Tigers."
==Portrayal in modern media==
===Film===
There was a ''Wong Fei Hung'' [[film series]] in [[cinema of Hong Kong|Hong Kong]] from the late 1940s into the 1960s; it consisted of 99 movies. The star, [[Kwan Tak Hing]], gained the nickname "Master Wong" due to his participation in the series. Numerous sources state that it is the most prolific movie series ever, and that Wong Fei Hung is the most portrayed character in movie history.
A short list of films portraying Wong Fei Hung is as follows:
*''[[Challenge of the Masters]]'' ([[Hong Kong films of 1976|1976]]), played by [[Gordon Liu]].
*''[[Drunken Master]]'' ([[Hong Kong films of 1978|1978]]), played by Jackie Chan, with [[Yuen Siu Tien]] as the Beggar So.
*''[[Magnificent Butcher]]'' ([[Hong Kong films of 1979|1979]]), played by Kwan Tak-Hing. [[Sammo Hung]], [[Yuen Biao]] and [[Wei Pak]] starred as Wong's disciples, Wing, Foon and Chik.
*''[[Once Upon a Time in China]]'' ([[Hong Kong films of 1991|1991]]), played by Jet Li. This is the first in a [[Once Upon a Time in China (film series)|series of six films]] about Wong Fei Hung.
*''[[Great Hero From China]]'' ([[Hong Kong films of 1992|1992]]), played by Chin Kar-Lok.
*''[[Iron Monkey (1993 film)|Iron Monkey]]'' ([[Hong Kong films of 1993|1993]]). The young Wong Fei Hung is played by female martial artist Tsang Sze-Man. [[Donnie Yen]] portrays Wong's father.
*''[[Once Upon a Time in China IV]] & V (1993) played by Zhao Wen Zhou
*''[[Drunken Master II]]'' ([[Hong Kong films of 1994|1994]]), played by Jackie Chan. [[Ti Lung]] portrayed Wong's father.
*''[[Drunken Master Killer]]'' (1994), played by Willie Chi.
*''[[Last Hero in China]]'' ([[Hong Kong films of 1995|1995]]), played by Jet Li.
*''[[Around the World in 80 Days (2004 film)|Around the World in 80 Days]]'' ([[2004 in film|2004]]), Sammo Hung has a brief appearance as Wong Fei Hung.
*''[[Shao Nian Huang Fei Hong]]'' ([[TV series]], 2002), China.
*''[[My Master is Wong Fei Hung]]'' (TV series, 2004), Hong Kong.
For a more extensive list, see [[List of Wong Fei Hung films]].
Because it was used as the theme song of the films, the Chinese folk song ''[[On the General's Orders]]'' (將軍令) is now associated with Wong Fei Hung, as is ''[[A Man Should Better Himself]]'' (男兒當自強), arranged by the late [[Wong Jim]] to ''On the General's Orders''.
===Others===
The character of [[Lee Rekka]] from [[SNK Playmore|SNK]]'s [[Last Blade]] series is based on Wong Fei Hung as portrayed by Jet Li in the Once Upon a Time in China series.
The lead character of [[Fei Fong Wong]] from the [[Squaresoft]] [[video game]] [[Xenogears]] is based on Wong Fei Hung.
In author [[Will Thomas]]' third mystery novel, ''The Limehouse Text'', his [[Victorian era|Victorian]] detective, Cyrus Barker, trained in Canton under Wong Fei Hung.
[[Stan Sakai]] has mentioned he plans to include a character based Won Fei Hung in a future issue of his comic book [[Usagi Yojimbo]]
==See also==
* [[Ten Tigers of Canton]]
==External links==
{{commons|Category:Wong Fei Hung|Wong Fei Hung}}
* [http://www.kungfucinema.com/?page_id=1300 Wong Fei Hung: The Man & the Legend] - a comprehensive summary by Kung Fu Cinema
* [http://www.wongfeihung.com/ www.wongfeihung.com]
* [http://www.hkcuk.co.uk/articles/wong_fei_hung.htm HKCuk]- Brief History on Wong Fei Hung
[[Category:Chinese physicians]]
[[Category:Cantonese people]]
[[Category:Chinese warriors]]
[[Category:Chinese Hung Gar practitioners]]
[[Category:1847 births]]
[[Category:1924 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Nanhai]]
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