So Chan (Su Can), also known by his nickname Beggar So (So Fa-tsz or So Hut-yee), was a Chinese martial artist and

folk hero A folk hero or national hero is a type of hero – real, fictional or mythology, mythological – with their name, personality and deeds embedded in the popular consciousness of a people, mentioned frequently in Folk music, folk songs, folk tales ...

who lived during the late

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...

. One of the

Ten Tigers of Canton Ten Tigers of Canton or Ten Tigers of GuangdongKim, Sun-Jin. Tuttle Dictionary of the Martial Arts of Korea, China & Japan. 996(1996). Tuttle publishing. Korea. . refers to a group of ten Chinese martial artists from Guangdong Province lived ar ...

, he was best known for his

drunken boxing Drunken boxing (), also known as Drunken Fist, is a general name for various styles of Chinese martial arts that imitate the movements of a drunk person. It is an ancient style and its origins are mainly traced back to the Buddhist and Daoist ...

Background

Born during the late

Qing Dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...

, So Chan was from

Nanhai District Nanhai District (), is a district of Foshan, Guangdong, China. Its government is the first to have developed e-government informatization at the county level in China. History Establishment of Nanhai is traditionally attributed two brothers c ...

Foshan Foshan (, ; Chinese: 佛山) is a prefecture-level city in central Guangdong Province, China. The entire prefecture covers and had a population of 9,498,863 as of the 2020 census. The city is part of the western side of the Pearl River Delta m ...

Guangdong ) means "wide" or "vast", and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in AD 226. The name "''Guang''" ultimately came from Guangxin ( zh, labels=no, first=t, t= , s=广信), an outpost established in Han dynasty ...

, or

Hunan Hunan is an inland Provinces of China, province in Central China. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the Administrative divisions of China, province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangxi to the east, Gu ...

according to one source, he was skilled in unarmed

Chinese martial arts Chinese martial arts, commonly referred to with umbrella terms Kung fu (term), kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (sport), wushu (), are Styles of Chinese martial arts, multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater Ch ...

skills, Drunken Eight Immortals Boxing (), Shaolin staff () said to be taught by the Shaolin monk Chan Fook, and also brutal boxing (). He formulated the unusual ''Golden Bowl and Iron Chopsticks'' technique (), which involved the use of an iron bowl on one hand to provoke the opponent and striking the opponent's acupuncture points with the iron chopsticks on another hand. He was a wanderer and made a living performing martial arts and acrobatics with his younger sister in the streets of

. He also taught martial arts at Sancheng Community Training Centre () in

Guangzhou Guangzhou, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Canton or Kwangchow, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Guangdong Provinces of China, province in South China, southern China. Located on the Pearl River about nor ...

and would later be known as one of the Ten Tigers of Canton. So exchanged ideas with So Hak-fu (), a fellow martial artist of the Ten Tigers of Canton, and imparted the technique of ''Golden Bowl and Iron Chopsticks'' along with some of his drunken boxing skills to him. He also exchanged ideas with two other Ten Tigers martial artists

Leung Kwan Leung Kwan (; 1815–1887), popularly nicknamed "Iron Bridge Three" or "Tit Kiu Sam", was known as 'the great master of the Hong Fist' and was one of the Ten Tigers of Canton, a group of ten of the top Chinese martial arts masters in Guangdong t ...

and

Wong Kei-ying Wong Kei-ying or Huang Qiying (c. 1815–1886) was a Chinese Hung Ga martial artist and physician of Cantonese ethnicity, who lived during the Qing dynasty. He was one of the Ten Tigers of Canton and was best known for his use of the Tiger Crane ...

as well. According to a folklore, So Chan also taught Wong Kei-ying's son

Wong Fei-hung Wong Fei-hung (born Wong Sek-cheung with the courtesy name Tat-wun; 19 August 1847 – 17 April 1925) was a Chinese martial artist, physician, and folk hero. Though he was considered an expert in the Hung Ga style of Chinese martial arts, his r ...

in drunken boxing. It was assumed that So was believed to have died during the early reign of the

Guangxu Emperor The Guangxu Emperor (14 August 1871 – 14 November 1908), also known by his temple name Emperor Dezong of Qing, personal name Zaitian, was the tenth Emperor of China, emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the ninth Qing emperor to rule over China ...

In popular culture

He was first portrayed by Liu Chi-wai in at least six black-and-white Wong Fei-hung films starring

Kwan Tak-hing Kwan Tak-hing (27 June 1905 – 28 June 1996) was a Hong Kong martial artist and actor best known for his portrayal of martial artist folk hero Wong Fei-hung in at least 77 films, between the 1940s and the 1980s. No one else in cinema history h ...

from 1950 to 1961. He was portrayed by Lam Kau in the 1953 black-and-white films ''The Beggar Named Su'', ''The Swordsman And The Beauty'', and ''Revenge of the Beggar Named Su''. He was portrayed by

Yuen Siu-tien Yuen Siu-tien () (27 November 1912 – 8 January 1979) (also known as Yuan Xiaotian, Simon Yuen, Sam Seed or "Ol' Dirty") was a Hong Kong actor and martial artist. In the late 1970s, Yuen is perhaps best known as Beggar So (a.k.a. Sam Seed) in ...

in the 1978 film ''

Drunken Master ''Drunken Master'' (), also known as ''Drunken Master The Beginning'', is a 1978 Hong Kong martial arts comedy film directed by Yuen Woo-ping and produced and co-written by Ng See-yuen. The film features much of the same crew as Yuen's '' ...

'', and Yuen has often been associated with the character Beggar So ever since. He was portrayed by Kwok Choi-hon in the 1978 film ''Ten Tigers of Shaolin''. He was portrayed by

Lau Kar-leung Lau Kar-leung (; born 28 July 1934 – 25 June 2013) was a Hongkongers, Hong Kong Martial art, martial artist, filmmaker, Stage combat, fight choreographer and actor. He is best known for the films he made in the 1970s and 1980s for the Shaw ...

in the 1978 film ''

Heroes of the East ''Heroes of the East'' (), also known as ''Challenge of the Ninja'', ''Shaolin vs. Ninja'', and ''Shaolin Challenges Ninja'', is a martial arts film produced in 1978. It starred Gordon Liu and was directed by Lau Kar-Leung. Lau Kar-Leung has a ...

''. He was portrayed by Yuen Siu-tien again in the 1979 film ''

Story of Drunken Master ''Story of Drunken Master'' ( aka ''Zui xia Su Qi Er / Drunken Fist Boxing'') is a 1979 Hong Kong kung fu comedy film directed by Ngai Hoi-fung and Wu Pang. The film stars Simon Yuen, Sharon Yeung, Wang Ho, Yen Shi-kwan, Cheung Wa, San Kua ...

''. Yuen went on to reprise the role in the 1979 film ''

Dance of the Drunk Mantis ''Dance of the Drunk Mantis'' () is a 1979 Hong Kong kung fu comedy film directed by Yuen Siu-tien's real life son Yuen Woo-ping and written by Ng See-yuen and Lung Hsiao. It stars Yuen Siu-tien, Hwang Jang-lee, Linda Lin, Yuen Shun-yi, C ...

''. He was portrayed by

Philip Kwok Philip Kwok (; also known as Kuo Chui, Kwok Chui, Kwok Chun-Fung; born 21 October 1951) is a Hong Kong–based Taiwanese actor, martial artist, and stuntman. He rose to fame as a member of the Venom Mob, an ensemble of martial arts actors w ...

in the 1979 film ''

Ten Tigers from Kwangtung ''Ten Tigers from Kwangtung'' () is a 1980 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Chang Cheh and produced by Mona Fong. It is one of Chang Cheh's tales of Shaolin's historic rivalries with the Qing dynasty and the Canton Tigers. Along with the ...

''. Yuen Siu-tien reprised the role for the last time only as a cameo in the opening credits of the 1979 film ''World of the Drunken Master'', with Lee Yi-min and Yu Chung-chiu portraying young and old versions of Beggar So respectively. Yuen was supposed to reprise his role as So Chan in the 1979 film ''

Magnificent Butcher ''The Magnificent Butcher'' () is a 1979 Hong Kong Martial arts film, martial arts comedy film directed by Yuen Woo-ping, and starring Sammo Hung, Kwan Tak-hing, Yuen Biao, and Wei Pai. The film is based on the story of Lam Sai-wing, one of t ...

'', but he died on 8 January 1979 as production of the film was beginning.

Fan Mei-sheng Fan Mei-sheng (; born 13 September 1942) also known as Fan Mui-sang, is a prolific Hong Kong Cantonese actor. Fan Mei-sheng started acting in movies from 1964; his first movie was ''The Story of Sue San''. He made his name in Shaw Brothers St ...

portrayed So Chan in that film. He was portrayed by

Chow Yun-fat Chow Yun-fat (born 18 May 1955), previously known as Donald Chow, is a Hong Kong actor and filmmaker. Known for his versatility, encompassing action to melodrama and comedy and historical drama, his accolades include three Hong Kong Film Awar ...

in the 1982

TVB Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB; zh, t=電視廣播有限公司) is a television broadcasting company based in Hong Kong. The company operates five free-to-air terrestrial television channels in Hong Kong, with TVB Jade as its main Canton ...

television drama series ''

The Legend of Master So ''The Legend of Master So'' (蘇乞兒) is a TVB television series, premiered on 27 September 1982. Theme song "Forgets With All One's Heart the Sentiment" (忘盡心中情) composition and arrangement by Joseph Koo, lyricist by Wong Jim, sung by ...

''. He was portrayed by

Gordon Liu Gordon Liu Chia-hui (born Sin Kam-hei, 22 August 1955) is a retired Hong Kong actor, martial artist, and filmmaker, best known for his roles in martial arts films. He was one of the biggest male stars of Shaw Brothers Studio's martial arts cinema ...

in the 1985 film ''The Young Vagabond''. He was portrayed by

Stephen Chow Stephen Chow Sing-chi (; born 22 June 1962) is a Hong Kong filmmaker and former actor, known for his mo lei tau comedy. His career began in television, where he gained recognition through variety shows and TV dramas. Chow's breakthrough came in 1 ...

in the 1992 film ''

King of Beggars ''King of Beggars'' is a 1992 Hong Kong martial arts comedy film directed by Gordon Chan, starring Stephen Chow, Sharla Cheung, Ng Man-tat and Norman Chui. The story is loosely based on legends about the martial artist So Chan (better known as ...

''. He was portrayed by

Donnie Yen Donnie Yen Chi-tan ( zh, c=甄子丹, p=Zhēn Zǐdān, j=, first=j; born 27 July 1963) is a Hongkongers, Hong Kong actor, filmmaker, martial artist, and action director. He is the recipient of various accolades, including three Golden Horse Fi ...

in the 1993 film '' Heroes Among Heroes''. He was portrayed by

Cheng Pei-pei Cheng Pei-pei (6 January 1946 – 17 July 2024) was a Hong Kong-American actress who was considered cinema's first female action hero. Popularly known as "Queen of Swords" and "Queen of Martial Arts Films", Cheng starred in numerous successful ...

in the 1996 television series '' Wong Fei Hung Series: The Final Victory''. He was portrayed by Lam Chi-ho in the 1999

ATV ATV may refer to: Broadcasting * Amateur television *Analog television Television broadcaster * Andorra Televisió * Anguilla Television * Ayna TV, Afghanistan * ATV (Armenia) * ATV (Aruba), NBC affiliate * ATV (Australian TV station), Melbourn ...

television drama series ''Ten Tigers of Guangdong''. He was portrayed by

Felix Wong Felix Wong Yat-wah (born September 4, 1961) is a Hong Kong actor and singer best known for his performances in many ''wuxia'' television series produced by TVB, such as '' The Legend of the Condor Heroes'' (1983), in which he played the protagonis ...

in the 2000 television drama series ''The Legend of Master Soh''. He was portrayed by Pu Ye Dong in the 2005 television drama series ''Kung Fu Beggar''. He was portrayed by

Wong Jing Wong Yat-cheong, known professionally as Wong Jing (, born 3 May 1955), is a Hong Kong filmmaker and actor. A prolific filmmaker with strong instincts for crowd-pleasing and publicity, he played a prominent role in Hong Kong cinema during ...

in the 2008 television drama series ''The Kung Fu Master Wong Fei Hung''. He was portrayed by

Vincent Zhao Vincent Zhao Wenzhuo ( Chinese: 赵文卓; born 10 April 1972), sometimes credited as Vincent Chiu or Chiu Man-cheuk, is a Chinese actor and martial artist. He is best known for portraying Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-hung in both film and televisi ...

in the 2010 film '' True Legend''. He was portrayed by an opera actor Zhang Xinyi of the Xiuqin Opera Troupe in the

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

show ''Beggar So'' during the Kaohsiung Spring Art Festival 2016. He was portrayed by Jun Cao in the 2016 film ''Master of the Drunken Fist: Beggar So''. He was portrayed by Chen Xinzhe in the 2020 film ''Kung Fu Master Su: Golden Pirate'' and its 2022 sequel ''Kung Fu Master Su: Red Lotus Worm''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chan, So Beggars Cantonese folklore Chinese warriors People from Nanhai District Martial artists from Guangdong