''Xianxia'' ( zh, t=, s=仙侠, p=xiānxiá, l=

immortal Immortality is the ability to live forever, or eternal life. Immortal or Immortality may also refer to: Film * ''The Immortals'' (1995 film), an American crime film * ''Immortality'', an alternate title for the 1998 British film '' The Wisdom of ...

heroes, first=t) is a genre of Chinese

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical elements, often including Fictional universe, imaginary places and Legendary creature, creatures. The genre's roots lie in oral traditions, ...

heavily inspired by

Chinese mythology Chinese mythology () is mythology that has been passed down in oral form or recorded in literature throughout the area now known as Greater China. Chinese mythology encompasses a diverse array of myths derived from regional and cultural tradit ...

and influenced by philosophies of

Taoism Taoism or Daoism (, ) is a diverse philosophical and religious tradition indigenous to China, emphasizing harmony with the Tao ( zh, p=dào, w=tao4). With a range of meaning in Chinese philosophy, translations of Tao include 'way', 'road', ' ...

Chan Buddhism Chan (; of ), from Sanskrit '' dhyāna'' (meaning " meditation" or "meditative state"), is a Chinese school of Mahāyāna Buddhism. It developed in China from the 6th century CE onwards, becoming especially popular during the Tang and Song ...

Confucianism Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China, and is variously described as a tradition, philosophy, Religious Confucianism, religion, theory of government, or way of li ...

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 ...

traditional Chinese medicine Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an alternative medicine, alternative medical practice drawn from traditional medicine in China. A large share of its claims are pseudoscientific, with the majority of treatments having no robust evidence ...

Chinese folk religion Chinese folk religion comprises a range of traditional religious practices of Han Chinese, including the Chinese diaspora. This includes the veneration of ''Shen (Chinese folk religion), shen'' ('spirits') and Chinese ancestor worship, ances ...

Chinese alchemy Chinese alchemy (煉丹術 ''liàndānshù'' "method for refining cinnabar") is a historical Chinese approach to alchemy. According to original texts such as the Cantong qi, the body is understood as the focus of cosmological processes summariz ...

, other traditional elements of

Chinese culture Chinese culture () is one of the Cradle of civilization#Ancient China, world's earliest cultures, said to originate five thousand years ago. The culture prevails across a large geographical region in East Asia called the Sinosphere as a whole ...

, and the ''

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 ...

'' genre. Protagonists of ''xianxia'' stories are often practitioners or cultivators of

immortality Immortality is the concept of eternal life. Some species possess "biological immortality" due to an apparent lack of the Hayflick limit. From at least the time of the Ancient Mesopotamian religion, ancient Mesopotamians, there has been a con ...

and

supernatural Supernatural phenomena or entities are those beyond the Scientific law, laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin 'above, beyond, outside of' + 'nature'. Although the corollary term "nature" has had multiple meanin ...

powers, or else are transcendent beings () already possessing such powers to varying degrees. Antagonists have similar powers, and often belong to either the '' yao'' (妖) tribe (i.e. fae tribe) or '' mo'' (魔) (i.e. demon tribe) or similar category of inhuman sentient beings. Persons in the ''xianxia'' genre manifest

superhuman The term superhuman refers to humans, humanoids or other beings with abilities and other qualities that exceed those naturally found in humans. These qualities may be acquired through natural ability, self-actualization or technological aids. ...

talents or physics-defying

superpower Superpower describes a sovereign state or supranational union that holds a dominant position characterized by the ability to Sphere of influence, exert influence and Power projection, project power on a global scale. This is done through the comb ...

s such as

flight Flight or flying is the motion (physics), motion of an Physical object, object through an atmosphere, or through the vacuum of Outer space, space, without contacting any planetary surface. This can be achieved by generating aerodynamic lift ass ...

levitation Levitation, Levitate, or Levitating may refer to: Concepts *Levitation (illusion), an illusion where a magician appears to levitate a person or object *Levitation (paranormal), the claimed paranormal phenomenon of levitation, occurring without an ...

teleportation Teleportation is the hypothetical transfer of matter or energy from one point to another without traversing the physical space between them. It is a common subject in science fiction and fantasy literature. Teleportation is often paired with tim ...

telekinesis Telekinesis () (alternatively called psychokinesis) is a purported psychic ability allowing an individual to influence a physical system without physical interaction. Experiments to prove the existence of telekinesis have historically been cri ...

divination Divination () is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic ritual or practice. Using various methods throughout history, diviners ascertain their interpretations of how a should proceed by reading signs, ...

soul flight Soul flight is a technique of Ecstasy (emotion), ecstasy used by shamans with the aim of entering into a state of trance. During such ecstatic trance it is believed that the shaman's soul has left the body and the corporeal world (compare out-of- ...

shapeshifting In mythology, folklore and speculative fiction, shapeshifting is the ability to physically transform oneself through unnatural means. The idea of shapeshifting is found in the oldest forms of totemism and shamanism, as well as the oldest existen ...

, materializing objects and force fields, manipulation of

energy Energy () is the physical quantity, quantitative physical property, property that is transferred to a physical body, body or to a physical system, recognizable in the performance of Work (thermodynamics), work and in the form of heat and l ...

and the elements, etc., akin to other

high fantasy High fantasy, or epic fantasy, is a subgenre of fantasy defined by the epic nature of its setting or by the epic stature of its characters, themes, or plot. Brian Stableford, ''The A to Z of Fantasy Literature'', (p. 198), Scarecrow Pres ...

genres such as the

sword and sorcery Sword and sorcery (S&S), or heroic fantasy, is a subgenre of fantasy characterized by sword-wielding heroes engaged in exciting and violent adventures. Elements of Romance (love), romance, Magic (fantasy), magic, and the supernatural are also ...

Western literature Western literature, also known as European literature, is the literature written in the context of Western culture in the languages of Europe, and is shaped by the periods in which they were conceived, with each period containing prominent weste ...

s. Concepts from traditional Chinese philosophies such as internal alchemy and external alchemy feature in this genre—

deities A deity or god is a supernatural being considered to be sacred and worthy of worship due to having authority over some aspect of the universe and/or life. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines ''deity'' as a God (male deity), god or god ...

s, ''

yaoguai Yaoguai ( zh, 妖怪, p=yāoguài, s=妖怪, t=妖怪) represent a broad and diverse class of ambiguous creatures in Chinese folklore and Chinese mythology, mythology defined by the possession of supernatural powers and by having attributes tha ...

'',

demon A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in folklore, mythology, religion, occultism, and literature; these beliefs are reflected in Media (communication), media including f ...

s and

ghost In folklore, a ghost is the soul or Spirit (supernatural entity), spirit of a dead Human, person or non-human animal that is believed by some people to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely, from a ...

s all engage in meditative practices and the consumption of rare substances or creatures to improve their skills or to augment their power. Action tends to take place across multiple realms, the number of which depends on the author or the world in question, but this usually includes the immortal plane, the mortal realm, and in the underworld. The xianxia genre also tends to feature the existence of magical creatures who do not belong to either the ''yao'' (妖) or ''mo'' (魔) category, as well as supernatural artefacts capable of upending the status quo.

Etymology

The characters forming are () and (). A is a being from

, particularly from

Taoist Taoism or Daoism (, ) is a diverse philosophical and religious tradition indigenous to China, emphasizing harmony with the Tao ( zh, p=dào, w=tao4). With a range of meaning in Chinese philosophy, translations of Tao include 'way', 'road', ...

legends, that can be one or more of these things: a powerful spirit, a

god In monotheistic belief systems, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. In polytheistic belief systems, a god is "a spirit or being believed to have created, or for controlling some part of the un ...

, a (), and/or someone who has obtained

or extraordinary

longevity Longevity may refer to especially long-lived members of a population, whereas ''life expectancy'' is defined Statistics, statistically as the average number of years remaining at a given age. For example, a population's life expectancy at birth ...

through

self-cultivation Self-cultivation or personal cultivation () is the development of one's mind or capacities through one's own efforts. Self-cultivation is the cultivation, integration, and coordination of mind and body. Although self-cultivation may be practice ...

to become a transcendent being. is usually translated as 'hero' or '

vigilante Vigilantism () is the act of preventing, investigating, and punishing perceived offenses and crimes without legal authority. A vigilante is a person who practices or partakes in vigilantism, or undertakes public safety and retributive justice ...

', but specifically implies a person who is brave, chivalrous, righteous and defiant. The character was originally used as one of the characters in the word and was transferred to the word to make it apparent that the modern genre was inspired by the popularity and several other elements, including powers gained from qi manipulation, of .

Characteristics

The stories usually revolve around the adventure/growth of a magical practitioner or a mortal person who gets entangled in

affairs, and include elements such as gods and immortals, spirits,

ghosts In folklore, a ghost is the soul or Spirit (supernatural entity), spirit of a dead Human, person or non-human animal that is believed by some people to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely, from a ...

and mythical creatures. These stories are usually "Chinese fantasy rooted in...Taoism,

Buddhism Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

", other Chinese mythological elements and tropes, and '' shenmo'' fiction.

Cultivation

The ''xianxia'' genre also includes the popular subgenre known as "cultivation" or "training" (; ; ; ). In the 21st century, this subgenre became popular with the advent of online publishing, with sites such as Qidian.com, Zongheng.com, and 17k.com giving a platform for authors to reach wide audiences with high-volume, serialized content. It was popularized outside of China primarily by fan translations in the early 2000s. Novels such as ''Stellar Transformations'', ''Coiling Dragon'', ''Martial God Asura'', and ''I Shall Seal the Heavens'' led to a boom in such fan translations. This genre is also a staple of Chinese television shows, films, ''

manhua () are Chinese-language comics produced in Greater China. Chinese comics and narrated illustrations have existed in China throughout its history. They are usually graphic and can be written for a myriad of genres, including romance, fanta ...

'' (comics), ''donghua'' (animation), and games. In these stories protagonists are usually "cultivators" or "practitioners" (; ; or ) who seek to become immortal beings called ''

xian Xi'an is the list of capitals in China, capital of the Chinese province of Shaanxi. A sub-provincial city on the Guanzhong plain, the city is the third-most populous city in Western China after Chongqing and Chengdu, as well as the most populou ...

''. Along the way, they attain eternal life, supernatural powers, and incredible levels of strength. The fictional theme of cultivation or immortal arts practice in ''xianxia'' is heavily based on the real-life meditation practice of ''

qigong Qigong ()) is a system of coordinated body-posture and movement, breathing, and meditation said to be useful for the purposes of health, spirituality, and martial arts training. With roots in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chinese medicine, Chin ...

''. Chinese ''xianxia'' web novels of the often contain action themes and are one of the most popular genres among male readers. Such as the Web Novel then adapted to Donghua''" A Record of Mortal's Journey to Immortality"'' by Wang Yu ''.'' There are novels with stories featuring female cultivators gaining popularity that could be popular with female readers.

History

There are many ancient Chinese texts that could be classified as ''xianxia'', such as the ''

Classic of Mountains and Seas The ''Classic of Mountains and Seas'', also known as ''Shanhai jing'' (), formerly romanized as the ''Shan-hai Ching'', is a Chinese classic text and a compilation of mythic geography and beasts. Early versions of the text may have existed si ...

'' from the

Warring States period The Warring States period in history of China, Chinese history (221 BC) comprises the final two and a half centuries of the Zhou dynasty (256 BC), which were characterized by frequent warfare, bureaucratic and military reforms, and ...

. ''Xianxia'' novels were popularized during the

Republic of China Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

period, but it was the 1932 novel ''

Legend of the Swordsmen of the Mountains of Shu ''Legend of the Swordsmen of the Mountains of Shu'' ( zh, t=蜀山劍俠傳, s=蜀山剑侠传, first=t, w=Shu3-shan1 chien4-hsia2 chuan4, p=Shǔshān jiànxiá zhuàn) is a 1932 wuxia novel written by the Sichuanese people, Sichuanese writer Hua ...

'' that sparked the modern popularity of the genre. In the 2010s and 2020s, many ''wuxia'' and ''xianxia'' novels have discussed topics such as

neoliberalism Neoliberalism is a political and economic ideology that advocates for free-market capitalism, which became dominant in policy-making from the late 20th century onward. The term has multiple, competing definitions, and is most often used pe ...

and alternatives to what is seen as a stagnant world order brought about by magic and/or religious organizations.

Films and television

Perhaps one of the earliest successful ''xianxia'' films was the 1983 Hong Kong film ''

Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain ''Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain'' ( zh, t=新蜀山劍俠) is a 1983 Hong Kong supernatural ''wuxia'' fantasy film directed by Tsui Hark and based on the xianxia novel '' Legend of the Swordsmen of the Mountains of Shu'' by Huanzhulouzh ...

'', which was followed up by the 2001 film ''

The Legend of Zu ''The Legend of Zu'', also known as ''Zu Warriors'', ( zh, t=蜀山傳) is a 2001 Hong Kong ''wuxia'' fantasy film directed and produced by Tsui Hark. The film starred Ekin Cheng, Cecilia Cheung, Louis Koo, Patrick Tam, Kelly Lin, Wu Jing, w ...

''. Overall, television shows are more numerous than films when it comes to ''xianxia'' adaptations. Some of the most popular and successful Chinese TV series in recent times are of the ''xianxia'' genre, such as '' Ashes of Love'', '' The Journey of Flower'', '' Eternal Love'', '' The Untamed'', '' Love Between Fairy and Devil'' and '' Till The End Of The Moon''. It is worth noting these notable dramas are adapted from popular novels published on the website ''Jinjiang Literature City'' (). In addition, there are also dramas adapted from popular video games such as '' Chinese Paladin'', '' Chinese Paladin 3'' and '' Swords of Legends''. The already existing fandom of ''xianxia'' source material has led to increased exposure and anticipation.

Relationship with other genres

is often compared to the genre, and the two share many similarities – both being set in a quasi-historical ancient China, featuring larger-than-life human protagonists, and struggles between

good and evil In philosophy, religion, and psychology, "good and evil" is a common dichotomy. In religions with Manichaeism, Manichaean and Abrahamic influence, evil is perceived as the dualistic cosmology, dualistic antagonistic opposite of good, in which ...

. The main difference is that generally has much more metaphysical themes. The genre has a heavier focus on spiritual growth and mastery of

superpowers Superpower describes a sovereign state or supranational union that holds a dominant position characterized by the ability to exert influence and project power on a global scale. This is done through the combined means of economic, military, tec ...

, pursuit for eternal existence,

fate Destiny, sometimes also called fate (), is a predetermined course of events. It may be conceived as a predeterminism, predetermined future, whether in general or of an individual. Fate Although often used interchangeably, the words wiktionary ...

s and

reincarnation Reincarnation, also known as rebirth or transmigration, is the Philosophy, philosophical or Religion, religious concept that the non-physical essence of a living being begins a new lifespan (disambiguation), lifespan in a different physical ...

s, multiple realms of reality, and interaction with

legendary creature A legendary creature is a type of extraordinary or supernatural being that is described in folklore (including myths and legends), and may be featured in historical accounts before modernity, but has not been scientifically shown to exist. In t ...

s and spirits. , by contrast, is grounded in the human world with few supernatural elements and mainly emphasizes martial arts, personal vendetta,

treasure hunting Treasure hunting is the physical search for treasure. One of the most popular types of modern day treasure hunters are historic shipwreck salvors. These underwater treasure salvors try to find sunken Shipwreck, shipwrecks and retrieve artifacts ...

social justice Social justice is justice in relation to the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society where individuals' rights are recognized and protected. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has of ...

radical politics Radical politics denotes the intent to transform or replace the principles of a society or political system, often through social change, structural change, revolution or radical reform. The process of adopting radical views is termed radic ...

, and power struggles. Other variants of similar Chinese high fantasy exist as well, such as , which generally refers high fantasy works that focuses more on

s and other supernatural beings rather than humans; generally refers to high-magic fantasy works that dispense with Taoist elements and have a less realistic setting; and are Chinese works set in a more explicitly Western-style fantasy setting, although generally keeping a Chinese mythological influence.

Influences

As ''xianxia'' novels have become more popular worldwide, other genres have been influenced by it, such as progression fantasy and litRPG. Authors such as

Will Wight William Lawrence Wight III (born August 11, 1989) is an American author of fantasy literature. He is best known for his independently published Cradle series, which has topped the Amazon Kindle Store's bestseller list on multiple occasions and ma ...

(''Cradle'') and Andrew Rowe (''Arcane Ascension'') draw on common themes found in ''xianxia''.

In popular culture

Film and television

Video games

* '' Xuan Yuan Sword'' () series * ''

The Legend of Sword and Fairy ''The Legend of Sword and Fairy'' (), also known as ''Sword and Fairy'' () or ''Chinese Paladin'', is a Chinese language fantasy video game series and media franchise centered on a series of nine Chinese mythology/'' xianxia''-themed adventure ...

'' () series * '' GuJian'' () series * '' Black Myth: Wukong''

Literature

* "

Zhu Xian Zhu Xian or Zhuxian may refer to: Literature and media * ''Zhu Xian'' (novel), 2005 Chinese novel by Xiao Ding * ''Jade Dynasty'' (video game), video game adaptation * ''Jade Dynasty'' (film), 2019 film adaptation Places in China * Zhuxian, Henan, ...

" * " Beware of Chicken" * " Reverend Insanity" * " Martial Peak" * " Apotheosis: Ascension To Godhood" * " Heaven Official's Blessing" * ''" A Record of Mortal's Journey to Immortality"''

References

{{Fantasy fiction Chinese fantasy Chinese literary genres Fantasy genres