Wong Fei-hung
| Wong Fei-hung | |
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 An alleged picture of Wong Fei-hung[1] |
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| Born | 9 July 1847 Foshan, Guangdong |
| Died | 25 March 1924 (aged 76) Guangzhou, Guangdong |
| Residence | Foshan, Guangdong Guangzhou, Guangdong |
| Style | Chinese martial arts Hung Ga |
| Teacher(s) | Wong Kei-ying |
| Rank | Grandmaster |
| Occupation | Martial artist Physician Revolutionary |
| Notable relatives | Wong Kei-ying (father) Mok Kwai-lan (spouse) |
| Notable students | Leung Foon Lam Sai-wing Tang Fung Ling Wan-kai |
- This is a Chinese name; the family name is Wong.
Wong Fei-hung or Hwang Fei-hung (traditional Chinese: 黃飛鴻; simplified Chinese: 黄飞鸿; pinyin: Huáng Fēihóng; Cantonese Yale: Wòhng Fēihùhng; July 9, 1847-March 25, 1924)[2] was a Chinese martial artist, a traditional Chinese medicine physician, acupuncturist and revolutionary who became a folk hero and the subject of numerous television series and films. He was considered an expert in the Hung Ga style of Chinese martial arts. Wong is visibly the most famous Hung Ga practitioner of modern times. As such, his lineage has received the most attention.[3]
As a physician, Wong practiced and taught acupuncture and other forms of traditional Chinese medicine at Po-chi-lam (寶芝林), his private practice medical clinic in Foshan, Guangdong, China. 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, Tang Fung, Wong Sai-wing and Ling Wan-kai. Wong was also associated with "Beggar So" of the Ten Tigers of Canton.
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Biography
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Wong was born in Foshan during the reign of the Daoguang Emperor in the Qing Dynasty. At the age of five, he started learning Hung Ga 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 March 25, 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 disciples Lam Sai-wing and Tang 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. His last wife, Mok Kwai-lan, died in Hong Kong on March 11, 1982. He had four sons. The oldest, Wong Hon-sam (黃漢森), was shot to death by a colleague in a drunken brawl in 1923.[4]
As a martial artist
Wong was a master of "Hung Fist". He systematized the predominant style of "Hung Fist" and choreographed its version of the famous "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 using the 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 dubbed as "Tiger after the Ten Tigers" for his heroic efforts to defend the pride of the Chinese when the Chinese faced oppression from foreign powers.
Portrayal in modern media
Films and TV series
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.
- 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 disciples, Wing, Foon and Chik.
- 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.
- 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
- Once Upon a Time in China IV & V (1993) - starring Vincent Zhao
- 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.
- TV series
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 of various films about Wong (especially those starring Kwan Tak-hing).
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 (only 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 entitled On the General's Orders but the tune is different from the original one.
Others
- The character of Lee Rekka from SNK's Last Blade series is based on Jet Li's role of Wong Fei-hung in the Once Upon a Time in China film series.
- Fei Fong Wong, the lead character Squaresoft video game Xenogears, was named after Wong Fei-hung (his name being written the same in 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.
See also
- Wong Kei-ying
- Ten Tigers of Canton
- Wong Fei-hung filmography
References
- ↑ Source file of the photo. The caption below reads: In 1976, Master Leung Ting (梁挺), who launched the Real Kungfu (真功夫) magazine for a friend, paid a special visit to Wong Fei-hung's wife, Mok Kwai-lan (莫桂蘭). Apart from obtaining first-hand information about Wong Fei-hung from Mok, Leung also got the only available photo of Wong. Unfortunately, the photo was not reproduced on time then and has been preserved by Leung until now, when it is unveiled to the public for the first time.
- ↑ On Hung Gar: History and Practice pg.79 Paperback: 310 pages Publisher: CreateSpace (April 13, 2009) Language: English ISBN 978-1-4421-3747-9
- ↑ Iron Thread. Southern Shaolin Hung Gar Kung Fu Classics Series Paperback: 186 pages Publisher: CreateSpace (December 15, 2008) Language: English ISBN 978-1-4404-7500-9
- ↑ (Chinese) Chapter 19 of Wulin Qixia Huang Feihong Zhengzhuan (武林奇侠黄飞鸿正传) by Han Chunmeng
External links
- WONG PING PUI, Spain
- www.wongfeihung.com
- HKCuk- Brief History on Wong Fei-hung