''Chor Lau-heung'' is a

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...

wuxia ( ), which literally means "martial heroes", is a genre of Chinese fiction concerning the adventures of martial artists in ancient China. Although is traditionally a form of historical fiction, its popularity has caused it to be adapted ...

television series adapted from the first three novels in the ''

Chu Liuxiang 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 "Dàoshuài" ("Bandit Chief") or "Xiān ...

'' novel series by Taiwanese writer

Gu Long Xiong Yaohua (7 June 1938 – 21 September 1985), better known by his pen name Gu Long, was a Hong Kong-born Taiwanese novelist, screenwriter, film producer and director. A graduate of Cheng Kung Senior High School and Tamkang University, Xio ...

. Adam Cheng starred as the titular protagonist, Chor Lau-heung (

Cantonese Cantonese ( zh, t=廣東話, s=广东话, first=t, cy=Gwóngdūng wá) is a language within the Chinese (Sinitic) branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages originating from the city of Guangzhou (historically known as Canton) and its surrounding ar ...

for "Chu Liuxiang"). The series was first broadcast on

TVB Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) is a television broadcasting company based in Hong Kong SAR. The Company operates five free-to-air terrestrial television channels in Hong Kong, with TVB Jade as its main Cantonese language service, and ...

on September 3, 1979. The 65 episodes long series was divided into four parts: ''The Legend of Mo-fa'' (無花傳奇), ''The Great Desert'' (大沙漠), ''Legend of the Divine Palace'' (神宮傳奇) and ''The Final Battle'' (最後一戰).

Cast

: ''Note: Some of the characters' names are in Cantonese romanisation.'' * Adam Cheng as Chor Lau-heung * Angie Chiu as So Yung-yung * Liza Wang as Shum Wai-san *

Mary Hon Mary Hon is an actress from TVB Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) is a television broadcasting company based in Hong Kong SAR. The Company operates five free-to-air terrestrial television channels in Hong Kong, with TVB Jade as its ...

as Shum Wai-lam * Ng Man-tat as Wu Tit-fa * Ching Hor-wai as Ko Ah-nam * Ha Yu as Kei Bing-ngan * Kwan Chung as Mo-fa * Wong Wan-choi as Nam-kung Ling * Wong Shee-tong as Chung-yuen Yat-dim-hung * Liu On-lai as Sung Tim-yee * Ko Miu-see as Lei Hung-sau * Susanna Au-yeung as Black Pearl * Lui Yau-wai as Yam Kei * Idy Chan as Yeung Ngan * Wong Hang-sau as Nam-kung Yin * Cheng Lai-fong as Yam Sin *

Law Lan Law Lan () MHAwarded in her original name Lo Yin-ying (born Lo Yin-ying (); 13 November 1934), is a veteran Hong Kong actress in both the film and TV industry. Career She first started out in the film industry in 1939, cast in antagonistic roles ...

as So Sam-tse * Leung San as Shek Koon-yam *

Louise Lee Louise or Luise may refer to: * Louise (given name) Arts Songs * "Louise" (Bonnie Tyler song), 2005 * "Louise" (The Human League song), 1984 * "Louise" (Jett Rebel song), 2013 * "Louise" (Maurice Chevalier song), 1929 *"Louise", by Clan of ...

as Lau Mo-mei * So Hang-syun as Kuk Mo-yung *

Sharon Yeung Sharon Yeung (born 5 February 1958) is a Taiwanese actress and film producer. Filmography * '' Amazing Spring'' (2019) * ''Kung Fu Jungle'' (2014) * '' Beach Spike'' (2011) * '' Angel Enforcers'' (1989) * ''The Legend of the Condor Heroes'' ( ...

as Fung Fei-yin * Chan Man-yi as Cheung-suen Hung * Sheung-koon Yuk as Ko Tai-kwan *

Kwan Hoi-san Herman Kwan Hoi-San () (born Kwan Ming-kok; October 23, 1925 – September 11, 2006) was a Hong Kong actor. His English name was Herman Kwan. Kwan started off as a Cantonese opera actor in street theatre before joining New Voice Opera Troupe (� ...

as Ko Koon-ying *

Bak Man-biu Bak Man Biu（1921–2007) was a veteran Hong Kong actor best known for his role as the Patriatch Lok Fai in the TVB drama '' A House Is Not A Home'' (1977). Career Born as Chew Hong Fook in 1921, during the 1940s, Bak was involved in Cantones ...

as Ko Koon-chung * Ho Pik-kin as Ko Koon-yung * Cheung Ying-choi as King of Lou-lan * Amy Wu as Queen of Lou-lan * Sam-sam as Princess Pipa * Chan Hung-lit as Ting Tit-kon * Kam Hing-yin as Lang Chau-wan * Chong Man-ching as Ting Ching-ching *

Shih Kien Shek Wing-cheung (1 January 1913 – 3 June 2009), better known by his stage name Shih Kien, Sek Kin, or Sek Gin or Shek Kin(), was a Hong Kong–based Chinese actor. Shih is best known for playing antagonists and villains in several early Hong ...

as Lei Koon-yu * Cheung Chung as Lei Yuk-ham * Kwok Fung as Shek Tor * Kam Kwok-wai as Siu-poon * Cheung Sang as Yam-chi * Law Kwok-wai as Wu On-ping * Cheung Tim-yau as Tai Tuk-hang * Lok Kung as Master Tin-fung * Chan Yau-hau as General Man * Tsui Kwong-lam as Bluebeard * Ho Lai-nam as Mount Yam Ghost Marshal *

Kong Ngai Kong Ngai (born Tang Siu Ji; October 1936 – 13 March 2013) was a Hong Kong actor with TVB and ATV. Early years Born in China in 1936 as Tang Siu Ji, Kong's affluent family fled to Macau during World War II and later migrated to Hong Kong. ...

as White Jade Demonic Beggar * Lee Kwok-lun as Pak-ming * Tam Chuen-hing as Tin-fung Sap-say-long * Ho Kwai-lam as Yu Wu-fa * Chu Kong as Sung Kong *

Natalis Chan Natalis "Nat" Chan (born 3 December 1950 in Hong Kong) is a Hong Kong television host, film actor, singer and producer. Besides his duties as a variety show host, he has also been a horse racing commentator and horse trainer. In total, his hor ...

as Fei-ying * Cho Jai as Left Guardian * Chung Chi-keung as Right Guardian * Chow Kat as Si Tsat-long * Leung Hung-wah as Suen Hok-po * King Doi-yum as Ying-ying * Leung Oi as Abbess Ching-yam *

Kent Tong Kent Tong (; born 29 September 1958) is a Hong Kong actor. He was a popular TVB actor during the 1980s, nicknamed "Prince" and one of the "Five Tiger Generals" of TVB. Early life Kent Tong was born to and grew up in a poor family in Hong Kong. Hi ...

Liu Kai-chi Dick Liu Kai-chi (, 30 September 1953 – 28 March 2021) was a Hong Kong actor, best known for his everyman supporting roles. His career spanned over 40 years, with appearances in over 90 television series and 70 films. He earned eight nomina ...

* Barbara Chan * Wong Man-yee * Chan Yuk-lun * Mak Tsi-wan * Wong Jo-see * Leung Pik-ling * Yu Muk-lin * Chan On-ying

Controversy with RTV's ''It Takes a Thief''

In 1979 around the time TVB released ''Chor Lau-heung'', another Hong Kong television station RTV produced a similar television series titled '' It Takes a Thief''. TVB and RTV became involved in copyright lawsuits against each other because of similarities between ''Chor Lau-heung'' and ''It Takes a Thief''. TVB won the lawsuits and eventually RTV had to change the Chinese title of ''It Takes a Thief'' from 盜帥留香 to 俠盜風流, and the names of characters in the television series. ''It Takes a Thief'' started airing on 1 September 1979, two days earlier than TVB's ''Chor Lau-heung''.

Reception

The series received good reviews from viewers in Taiwan after the first two episodes were first aired on CTV as part of the

Golden Bell Awards The Golden Bell Awards () is an annual Taiwanese television and radio production award presented in October or November each year by the Bureau of Audiovisual and Music Industry Development, a division of Taiwan's Ministry of Culture. It is th ...

screenings. Following that, CTV acquired rights from Hong Kong's

to broadcast the entire series in Taiwan, starting on April 18, 1982, under a Mandarin voice dub.

Music album

''Chor Lau-heung'' (楚留香) is an album by Hong Kong actor and singer Adam Cheng, released by Crown Records in 1979. It contains the main theme song "Chor Lau-heung" and the insert song "Lau-heung's regret" (留香恨) from the television series.

RTHK Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) is the public broadcasting service in Hong Kong. GOW, the predecessor to RTHK, was established in 1928 as the first broadcasting service in Hong Kong. As a government department under the Commerce and Econo ...

selected the main theme song as one of the Top Ten Gold Songs of 1979.第二屆 (1979)
(2nd Annual Top Ten Gold Songs Awards),

In this album, lyricist Cheng Kwok-kong (鄭國江) is credited as Kong Yu (江羽).

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Chor Lau-Heung (1979 Tv Series) 1979 Hong Kong television series debuts 1979 Hong Kong television series endings 1982 Hong Kong television series debuts 1982 Hong Kong television series endings TVB dramas Hong Kong wuxia television series Works based on Chu Liuxiang (novel series) Cantonese-language television shows Television shows based on works by Gu Long