Seven Swordsmen
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''Seven Swordsmen'' is a 2006 Chinese television series directed by
Clarence Fok Clarence Fok Yiu-leung (; 1960 – 1 February 2024) was a Hong Kong film director and actor. He was perhaps best known for directing the international cult classic '' Naked Killer'' (1992). Life and career Fok was born in 1960 in Hong Kong. H ...
and produced by
Tsui Hark Tsui Hark (, , born 15 February 1950), born Tsui Man-kong (), is a Hong Kong filmmaker. A major director in the Golden Age of Cinema of Hong Kong, Hong Kong cinema, Tsui gained critical and commercial success with films such as ''Zu Warriors from ...
. The series is loosely adapted from
Liang Yusheng Chen Wentong (5 April 1924 – 22 January 2009), better known by his pen name Liang Yusheng, was a Chinese-born Australian novelist best known for being a pioneer of the "new school" of the wuxia genre in the 20th century. Along with Jin Yong ...
's ''
wuxia ( , literally "martial arts and chivalry") is a genre of Chinese literature, Chinese fiction concerning the adventures of martial artists in ancient China. Although is traditionally a form of historical fantasy literature, its popularity ha ...
'' novels '' Qijian Xia Tianshan'' and ''
Saiwai Qixia Zhuan ''Saiwai Qixia Zhuan'' is a wuxia novel by Liang Yusheng first published as a serial between 18 August 1956 and 23 February 1957 in the Hong Kong newspaper ''Chou Mo Pao'' (). Considered the second part of the ''Tianshan'' series of novels by ...
''. It is also the television series counterpart to the 2005 film ''
Seven Swords ''Seven Swords'' is a 2005 ''wuxia'' film produced and directed by Tsui Hark, starring Donnie Yen, Leon Lai, Charlie Yeung, Sun Honglei, Lu Yi and Kim So-yeon. An international co-production between Hong Kong, China, South Korea and the Nether ...
'', which was also directed and produced by Tsui Hark. This series was originally planned to be the first season of a longer television series but the project seems to have been abandoned.


Plot

In the mid-17th century, the
Manchu The Manchus (; ) are a Tungusic peoples, Tungusic East Asian people, East Asian ethnic group native to Manchuria in Northeast Asia. They are an officially recognized Ethnic minorities in China, ethnic minority in China and the people from wh ...
s conquer the territories of the fallen
Ming Empire The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of China ruled by the Han people, ...
and establish the
Qing Empire 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 ...
. Out of fear that the ''wulin'' (martial artists' community) will pose a threat to them, the Qing government forbids the common people from practising martial arts and possessing weapons. Prince Dokado, a Manchu noble, leads an army to eliminate those who defy the order. Dokado and his men kill many martial artists before assaulting Martial Village, which houses rebels from the Red Spears Society, an anti-Qing resistance movement. Two young villagers, Han Zhibang and Wu Yuanying, break out of the siege and follow Fu Qingzhu, a former executioner seeking to redeem himself, to Mount Heaven to seek help from Master Huiming, a reclusive martial artist and sword forger. Huiming allows his four apprentices – Chu Zhaonan, Yang Yuncong, Xin Longzi and Mulang – to join Fu Qingzhu, Han Zhibang and Wu Yuanying on their quest to save the ''wulin'' from the Qing government's persecution. Each of the seven men receives a special sword from Huiming. They call themselves "Seven Swords". The Seven Swords return in the nick of time and save the villagers from Qing forces attacking them. To avoid Dokado and his troops, the Seven Swords and the villagers flee into the mountains and hide inside a cave system. However, they soon discover that Dokado has planted a spy among them. The spy poisons their water supply, attempts to destroy their escape route, and frames Yang Yuncong for the deed. After escaping from the caves, the Seven Swords agree to split up for one year to avoid trouble. Han Zhibang and Mulang remain with the villagers, while Fu Qingzhu, Xin Longzi and Wu Yuanying go to the imperial capital to assassinate the Qing emperor. In the meantime, Chu Zhaonan falls into a trap and gets captured by Fenghuo Liancheng, a ruthless Manchu general. He falls in love with Fenghuo Liancheng's slave, Lüzhu, but their romance ends in tragedy when she sacrifices herself to help him escape. Chu Zhaonan slays Fenghuo Liancheng and ventures far into western China, where he encounters Yang Yuncong. The two swordsmen join the Desert Eagles, an anti-Qing tribal group led by the legendary heroine Feihongjin. During a battle against Qing forces, Yang Yuncong is wounded but is saved and nursed back to health by Nalan Minghui, a Qing general's daughter. They fall in love despite standing on opposing sides, but are not fated to be together as Nalan Minghui's father has arranged for her to marry Dokado. However, Nalan Minghui is already pregnant with Yang Yuncong's child and she gives birth to a baby girl later. In the imperial capital, Fu Qingzhu, Xin Longzi and Wu Yuanying sneak into the palace and attempt to assassinate the
Shunzhi Emperor The Shunzhi Emperor (15 March 1638 – 5 February 1661), also known by his temple name Emperor Shizu of Qing, personal name Fulin, was the second Emperor of China, emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the first Qing emperor to rule over China pro ...
. They end up saving the emperor from a coup staged by some nobles. In
Hangzhou Hangzhou, , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ; formerly romanized as Hangchow is a sub-provincial city in East China and the capital of Zhejiang province. With a population of 13 million, the municipality comprises ten districts, two counti ...
, Han Zhibang becomes the new leader of the Red Spears Society for his heroic actions in rescuing his comrades who were captured by Qing forces. Following the reunion of the Seven Swords, Chu Zhaonan pretends to defect to the enemy in the hope of finding an opportunity to get close to Dokado and assassinate him. Chu Zhaonan's plan ultimately fails because Dokado sees through his ruse and manipulates him into committing atrocities against his own will. The rebels and the other six swordsmen become increasingly suspicious of where Chu Zhaonan's true allegiance lies. Eventually, to prove his loyalty, Chu Zhaonan challenges Dokado to a battle on the banks of the
Qiantang River The Qiantang River (), formerly known as the Hangchow River Postal Map Romanization, or Tsientang River, is a rivers of China, river in East China. An important commercial artery, it runs for through Zhejiang, passing through the provincial c ...
and asks the other swordsmen to join him. Although the battle concludes with Dokado's defeat, it also causes the dissolution of the Seven Swords. Yang Yuncong is killed in action; Xin Longzi goes missing after entering a fit of insanity; Mulang returns to Mount Heaven in shame with Yang Yuncong's infant daughter after carelessly allowing the enemy to infiltrate the rebels' hideout; Chu Zhaonan is so deeply traumatised by the devastating experiences he went through that he abandons his fellows along with his conscience. While Fu Qingzhu and Wu Yuanying search for their missing comrades, Han Zhibang stays behind to help the surviving rebels rebuild their forces.


List of episodes


Cast

*
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 ...
as Chu Zhaonan, the wielder of the Dragon. * Wang Xuebing as Yang Yuncong, the wielder of the Transience. *
Ji Chunhua Ji Chunhua (; 20 July 1961 – 11 July 2018), sometimes romanized as Gai Chun Wa, was a Chinese actor and action choreographer. Just like Jet Li and Yu Chenghui, he was a Mainland China-trained wushu athlete who started his acting career in th ...
as Xin Longzi, the wielder of the Star Chasers. *
Qiao Zhenyu Qiao Zhenyu (, born 1 November 1978) is a Chinese actor who is a graduate of the Beijing Dance Academy. Career In 2000, Qiao made his debut in the film ''Soaring Dragon Leaping Tiger''. The same year, he filmed his first television drama ''Xin ...
as Mulang, the wielder of the Sun and Moon. * Zhang Bo as Han Zhibang, the wielder of the Deity. * Sang Weilin as Wu Yuanying, the wielder of the Heaven's Fall. *
Yu Chenghui Yu Chenghui (16 August 1939 – 4 July 2015), sometimes credited as Yue Sing-wai, was a Chinese actor, action director and martial artist. Martial arts career Yu started practising martial arts at the age of 11, specialising in the use of the ''j ...
as Fu Qingzhu, the wielder of the Unlearnt. *
Ray Lui Raymond Lui Leung-wai (, born 22 December 1956) is a Hong Kong actor. Born in Chợ Lớn, Saigon, South Vietnam, he traces his ancestry to Lianjiang, Guangdong. He is best known for his roles as "Ting Lik" in the TVB series ''The Bund'' (1980 ...
as Dokado, a Manchu prince and the primary antagonist in the story. *
Ada Choi Ada Choi Siu-fan (; born 17 September 1973) is a Hong Kong actress who gained fame with the TVB dramas such as '' Healing Hands'' (1998–2000) and '' Where the Legend Begins'' (2002), before she shifted her career to mainland China, where she gai ...
as Feihongjin (Flying Red Sash), the leader of the Desert Eagles. *
Li Xiaoran Li Xiaoran (; born 8 May 1976) is a Chinese actress. She graduated from Beijing Dance Academy at the age of 17, and was the only dancer recruited into the Oriental Song and Dance Troupe from Beijing. Filmography Television series Awards and ...
as Nalan Minghui, Nalan Xiuji's daughter and Yang Yuncong's love interest. * Wang Likun as Liu Yufang, Liu Jingyi's daughter. *
Bryan Leung Bryan Leung Kar-yan (Chinese: , born 20 January 1948) is a Hong Kong film and television actor and film director who has played roles in numerous acclaimed martial arts films. He is affectionately known as "Beardy" due to his trademark facial ...
as Liu Jingyi, the chief of Martial Village. * Askar Maimaiti as Ai'erjiang, a singer and Feihongjin's ex-lover. * Sun Feifei as Dong Xiaowan, Mao Pijiang's wife who was forced to be the Shunzhi Emperor's concubine. * Edell Aidai as Lüzhu (Green Pearl), a slave girl who becomes Chu Zhaonan's first love. * Eryang as Nalan Xiuji, a Manchu general. * Xu Xiangdong as Niuhuru, Dokado's mentor. * Sun Jiankui as Qi Zhenjun, a swordsman hired by Dokado to fight the Seven Swords. * Tan Kai as Fenghuo Liancheng (Fire Wind Linked Cities), a Manchu general and former ''
baturu Baturu (Manchu language, Manchu: ''baturu''; ) was an official title of China's Qing dynasty, awarded to commanders and soldiers who fought bravely on the battlefield. In Manchu, ''baturu'' means "warrior" or "brave." It is originally from the Mon ...
''. * Gao Lu as Chuntao, Nalan Minghui's servant. * Xie Zhenwei as the
Shunzhi Emperor The Shunzhi Emperor (15 March 1638 – 5 February 1661), also known by his temple name Emperor Shizu of Qing, personal name Fulin, was the second Emperor of China, emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the first Qing emperor to rule over China pro ...
, the ruler of the Qing dynasty. *
Dai Chunrong Dai Chunrong (戴春荣) (born 1962 in Xi'an, Shaanxi) is a Chinese television actress and a former Qinqiang actress. Nicknamed the "empress specialist", she has portrayed over a dozen Chinese empresses in Chinese television series. Filmograp ...
as
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang Bumbutai (; mnc, m= ; zh, 布木布泰; 28 March 1613 – 27 January 1688), of the Khorchin Mongol Borjigit clan, was the consort of Hong Taiji. She was 21 years his junior. She was honoured as Empress Dowager Zhaosheng during the reign of ...
, the Shunzhi Emperor's mother. *
Kent Tong Kenneth Tong Chun-yip (; 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 H ...
as Aolong, an ambitious Manchu noble plotting to usurp the throne. * Guo Hongjie as Zhang Chengbin, Dokado's deputy. * Liu Tieyong as Zhang Kui, Dokado's deputy. * Zhang Xin as Qiu Dongluo, a spy planted in Martial Village by Dokado. * Wang Huarong as Zhang Huazhao, the oldest among the children of Martial Village. * Ma Ji as Gu Sandao, a member of Martial Village. * Chen Zhou as Zhang Laifu, a member of Martial Village. * Zheng Li as Zhou Chaotai, a member of Martial Village. * Zhou He as Shao Zhanpeng, a member of Martial Village. * Milading as Ailike, the second-in-command of the Desert Eagles. * Dilireba'ao as Manlingna, Kelimu's wife. * Ma Jingwu as Reverend Huiming (Master Shadow Glow), a reclusive swordsman and sword forger. * Zhu Feng as Mao Pijiang, Dong Xiaowan's husband. * Wang Xinfen as the White Haired Demoness, Feihongjin's master and Reverend Huiming's ex-lover. * Yuan Bin as Xinhen (Cruel), one of the "Four Dangers of the Jianghu". * Huo Yaoliang as Shoula (Ruthless), one of the "Four Dangers of the Jianghu". * He Qing as Beibi (Despicable), one of the "Four Dangers of the Jianghu". * Wang Yong as Wuchi (Shameless), one of the "Four Dangers of the Jianghu".


See also

* ''
Seven Swords ''Seven Swords'' is a 2005 ''wuxia'' film produced and directed by Tsui Hark, starring Donnie Yen, Leon Lai, Charlie Yeung, Sun Honglei, Lu Yi and Kim So-yeon. An international co-production between Hong Kong, China, South Korea and the Nether ...
'' * ''
Legend of the White Hair Brides ''Legend of the White Hair Brides'' is a Singaporean television series adapted from the ''wuxia'' novels ''Baifa Monü Zhuan'', ''Saiwai Qixia Zhuan'' and ''Qijian Xia Tianshan'' by Liang Yusheng. It was first broadcast on Channel 8 (Singaporean TV ...
''


External links

* *
''Seven Swordsmen''
on
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* on wu-jing.org {{DEFAULTSORT:Seven Swordsmen Chinese wuxia television series Television shows based on works by Liang Yusheng 2006 Chinese television series debuts 2006 Chinese television series endings Television series set in the Qing dynasty Mandarin-language television shows Television shows set in Xinjiang Television shows set in Hangzhou