Wong Fei-hung

Wong Fei-hung 黃飛鴻
An alleged picture of Wong Fei-hung
Born	(1847-07-09)9 July 1847 Foshan, Guangdong, China
Died	24 May 1924(1924-05-24) (aged 76) Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
Residence	Foshan, Guangdong, China Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
Style	Chinese martial arts Hung Gar
Teacher(s)	Wong Kei-ying
Rank	Grandmaster
Occupation	Martial artist, physician, revolutionary
Spouse	Ms. Luo (1871, her death) Ms. Ma (1896, her death) Ms. Chen (1902, her death) Mok Kwai-lan (1915-1924, his death)
Notable students	Leung Foon Lam Sai-wing Dang Fong Ling Wan-kai

Wong Fei-hung
Traditional Chinese	黃飛鴻
Simplified Chinese	黄飞鸿
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Huáng Fēihóng Wade–Giles Huang Fei-hung IPA [xwǎŋ féɪxʊ̌ŋ] Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Hwáng Fēihúng Jyutping Wong4 Fei1 Hung4 IPA [wɔ̏ːŋ féihʊ̏ŋ]

Wong Fei-hung (July 9, 1847 – May 24, 1924) was a Chinese martial artist, physician, acupuncturist and revolutionary who became a folk hero and the subject of numerous films and television series. He was considered an expert in the Hung Gar style of Chinese martial arts. Wong is visibly the most famous Hung Gar practitioner in modern times. As such, his lineage has received the most attention. As a physician, Wong practiced and taught acupuncture and other forms of traditional Chinese medicine in Po-chi-lam (T: 寶芝林, S: 宝芝林, P: Bǎozhīlín, J: bou2 zi1 lam4), his private clinic in Foshan, Guangdong. A museum dedicated to him was built in Foshan. Wong's most famous disciples included Wong Hon-hei (his son), Lam Sai-wing, Leung Foon, Dang Fong, Wong Sai-wing and Ling Wan-kai. Wong was also associated with "Beggar So" of the Ten Tigers of Canton.

Biography

Wong was born on Mount Xiqiao, Foshan, Guangdong, during the reign of the Daoguang Emperor in the Qing Dynasty. At the age of five, he started learning Hung Gar from his father Wong Kei-ying. When he was 13, he learnt the Tour de Force of Iron Wire Fist and sling from Lam Fuk-sing (林福成), a student of "Iron Bridge Three" Leung Kwan, after meeting Lam in Douzhixiang during a martial arts street performance. He learnt the Shadowless Kick from Sung Fai-tong (宋輝鏜) later.

In 1863 at the age of 17, Wong set up his first martial arts school in Shuijiao. 26 years later in 1886, he opened his Po-chi-lam (寶芝林) clinic at Ren'an. In 1919, Wong was invited to perform at Chin Woo Athletic Association's Guangzhou branch during its opening ceremony.

Wong died of illness on May 24, 1924 in Chengxi Fangbian Hospital in Guangdong. He was buried at the foot of Baiyun Mountain. Wong's wife Mok Kwai-lan (莫桂蘭) and his two sons, along with his students Lam Sai-wing and Dang Sai-king (鄧世瓊), later moved to Hong Kong and established martial arts schools there.

In legend, Wong was recruited by Liu Yongfu, commander of the Black Flag Army, to be the army's medical officer and martial arts instructor. Wong also instructed Guangdong's local militia in martial arts. He followed Liu's army to fight the Imperial Japanese Army in Taiwan before as well.

Personal life

Wong married four times in his life. The personal names of his first three wives are unknown. He had four known children.

The following names are in Cantonese romanisation:

• Surnamed "Lo" or "Law" (simplified Chinese: 罗; traditional Chinese: 羅; pinyin: Luó), married Wong in 1871, died of illness three months after their marriage.

• Surnamed "Ma" (simplified Chinese: 马; traditional Chinese: 馬; pinyin: Mǎ), married Wong in 1896, died of illness. She bore Wong two daughters - Wong Hon-lam (simplified Chinese: 黄汉林; traditional Chinese: 黃漢林; pinyin: Huáng Hànlín) and Wong Hon-sam (simplified Chinese: 黄汉森; traditional Chinese: 黃漢森; pinyin: Huáng Hànsēn).

• Surnamed "Sam" or "Sum" (Chinese: 岑; pinyin: Cén), married Wong in 1902, died of illness. She bore Wong two sons - Wong Hon-syu (simplified Chinese: 黄汉枢; traditional Chinese: 黃漢樞; pinyin: Huáng Hànshū) and Wong Hon-hei (simplified Chinese: 黄汉熙; traditional Chinese: 黃漢熙; pinyin: Huáng Hànxī).

• Mok Kwai-lan (simplified Chinese: 莫桂兰; traditional Chinese: 莫桂蘭; pinyin: Mò Guīlán), married Wong in 1915, died in Hong Kong on March 11, 1982.

As a martial artist

Wong was a master of Hung Gar (also called Hung Fist). He systematised the predominant style of Hung Gar and choreographed its version of the 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 named the techniques of his skills when he performed them.

Wong was adept at using weapons such as the staff and southern tiger fork. One tale recounts how Wong defeated a group of 30 gangsters on the docks of Guangdong with a staff.

Wong is sometimes incorrectly identified as one of the "Ten Tigers of Canton". His father Wong Kei-ying was one of the ten but he was not. Wong is sometimes referred to as the "Tiger after the Ten Tigers".

Cultural references

Film and television

Main article: Wong Fei-hung filmography

A series of 99 films on Wong Fei-hung was produced between the 1940s and 1960s in Hong Kong. Kwan Tak-hing starred as Wong and earned himself the nickname "Master Wong" for his role. Other prominent actors who played the famed martial artist include Jet Li in the series, Once Upon a Time in China.

• List of notable Wong Fei-hung films:
  • Challenge of the Masters (1976), starring Gordon Liu.
  • Drunken Master (1978), starring Jackie Chan. Yuen Siu-tien played Beggar So.
  • Magnificent Butcher (1979), starring Kwan Tak-hing. Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao and Wei Pak co-starred as Wong's students Wing, Foon and Chik.
  • Martial Club (1981), starring Gordon Liu.
  • Once Upon a Time in China (1991), starring Jet Li. This is the first part of a series of six films on Wong Fei-hung. Vincent Zhao took over the role of Wong Fei-hung from Jet Li in two of the movies.
  • Great Hero From China (1992), starring Chin Kar-lok.
  • Iron Monkey (1993), starring Donnie Yen as Wong Kei-ying. Angie Tsang played a young Wong Fei-hung.
  • Last Hero in China (1993), starring Jet Li.
  • Drunken Master II (1994), starring Jackie Chan. Ti Lung co-starred as Wong Kei-ying.
  • Drunken Master Killer (1994), starring Willie Chi.
  • Around the World in 80 Days (2004), Sammo Hung appears briefly as Wong Fei-hung.

• Television series:
  • Wong Fei Hung Series (1996) is a Hong Kong television series on five stories about Wong Fei-hung. The series was produced by Tsui Hark and starred Vincent Zhao as Wong Fei-hung. This television series is sometimes regarded as a television counterpart to the Once Upon a Time in China films.
  • Shaonian Huang Feihong (2002) is a Chinese television series featuring Wong Fei-hung as a youth.
  • My Master is Wong Fei-hung (2004), a Hong Kong comedy television series.
  • Grace Under Fire (2011), a Hong Kong television series about Wong Fei-hung's wife Mok Kwai-lan.

Theme song

The Chinese folk song On the General's Orders (將軍令) has become popularly associated with Wong Fei-hung because it was used as the theme song in various films about Wong (especially those starring Kwan Tak-hing).

The song was used in the opening of the 1978 film Drunken Master, starring Jackie Chan. In the Once Upon a Time in China film series, the song was titled A Man Should Better Himself (男兒當自強) while Wong Jim provided the lyrics. The song was performed by George Lam and Jackie Chan (in a few films).

A rearranged version was rewritten and performed by Dayo Wong as the theme song of Men Don't Cry. Taiwanese singer Kenji Wu performed a song titled On the General's Orders but the tune is different from the original one.

Others

• The character of Lee Rekka in SNK's Last Blade series is based on Jet Li's character of Wong Fei-hung in the Once Upon a Time in China film series.

• Fei Fong Wong, the lead character in the Square video game Xenogears, was named after Wong Fei-hung (his name being written the same in katakana as Wong's name is written). Another protagonist, Citan Uzuki, closely resembles Wong, being both a physician and martial artist dressed in traditional Chinese garments.

• In Will Thomas' third mystery novel, The Limehouse Text, his Victorian detective Cyrus Barker trained in martial arts in Guangdong under Wong Fei-hung's tutelage.

• Stan Sakai has mentioned his plans to include a character based Wong Fei-hung in a future issue of his comic book Usagi Yojimbo.

• Wong Fei Hong is a character in the collectible card game Shadowfist.

See also

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• Wong Kei-ying
• Ten Tigers of Canton
• Wong Fei-hung filmography

External links

• www.wongfeihung.com