| Huo Yuanjia | |
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| Also known as | The Legendary Fok 2008 |
| Genre | Historical drama, martial arts |
| Written by | Benny Chan |
| Directed by | Kuk Kwok-leung |
| Creative director(s) | Stanley Kwan |
| Starring | Ekin Cheng Jordan Chan Bryan Leung Zhou Muyin Ding Li Qu Yue |
| Opening theme | Man Lei Cheung Sing Wing Bat Dou (萬里長城永不倒) performed by Johnny Yip (Cantonese) |
| Ending theme | Ye Shang (夜殤) performed by Mao Ning and Chen Ming |
| Composer(s) | Chris Babida |
| Country of origin | Hong Kong China |
| Language(s) | Mandarin Cantonese |
| No. of episodes | 42 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Wu Jieqiang |
| Producer(s) | Sheng Xiaodong Ren Xiaojie Wang Dafang Guo Jun Li Cheng Wang Zhizhong Pu Shulin |
| Location(s) | China Hong Kong |
| Running time | 45 minutes per episode |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | ATV |
| Original airing | 2007 |
| Chronology | |
| Followed by | Jingwu Chen Zhen (2008) |
| Huo Yuanjia | |||||||
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| Chinese | 霍元甲 | ||||||
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Huo Yuanjia is a television series based on the story of Chinese martial artist Huo Yuanjia. It includes a subplot on the story of Chen Zhen, a fictional student of Huo Yuanjia and protagonist of the 1972 film Fist of Fury. The series was directed by Kuk Kwok-leung and starred Ekin Cheng, Jordan Chan, Zhou Muyin, Bryan Leung, Ding Li and Qu Yue in the lead roles. It was first released in 2007 and broadcast on various television channels in other countries in the following year. A sequel titled Jingwu Chen Zhen was released in late 2008. Jordan Chan reprised his role as Chen Zhen.
Huo Yuanjia is born in Jinghai in a family of martial arts practitioners. He is asthmatic as a child and his father Huo Endi strongly discourages him from practicing martial arts, but he does not give up and practices secretly. Huo Endi and Zhao Shengxian are both students of mizongyi, but they have a disagreement over how the martial art should be practiced and have since been at odds with each other. Despite the rivalry between their respective fathers, Huo Yuanjia develops a close friendship with Zhao Shengxian's daughter, Zhao Qiannan. One day, Cheng Tianxiao, Huo Endi and Zhao Shengxian's former senior, shows up and challenges them to a match. Huo Yuanjia surprises everyone by displaying his martial arts prowess for the first time when he knocks Cheng out of the ring. Huo Endi then officially permits his son to practice their family's martial arts. Huo Yuanjia defeats Cheng in a match later and the latter dies. Cheng's student Chen Zhen sees Huo as a sworn enemy and vows to avenge his teacher. However, Huo accepts Chen as his student instead, hoping to resolve the feud between them. Chen initially harbours a grudge against Huo and seeks to kill Huo, but dismisses the idea and becomes more impressed with his teacher's heroism and patriotism.
One day, Zhao Qiannan's cousin Long Haisheng comes to Jinghai on a business trip. In fact, Long is plotting to dominate Jinghai's market by running an illegal opium industry but Huo Yuanjia foils Long's plans and he destroys the opium in public. Long Haisheng hates Huo and sees him as an arch-rival. Long frames Huo for murder later and Huo is forced to flee from Jinghai. Huo travels to Tianjin with Chen Zhen and Liu Zhensheng, where he gradually becomes involved in the affairs of the Tianjin martial artists' community. Huo makes his name by defeating an aggressive Japanese fighter in a match and he proceeds to emerge victorious in subsequent matches with foreign challengers. Huo moves to Shanghai and with help from Nong Jinsun, he founds Jingwu School, to groom Chinese martial artists to serve and defend their country from foreign aggressors. Huo is targeted by a Japanese secret agent called "Wang Xiwen" and Wang plots Huo's downfall. In the meantime, Chen Zhen strikes up a romantic relationship with Wang's subordinate, Wang Xiuzhi, without knowing that the Wangs' true identities.
Huo is chosen to represent China in a grand martial arts tournament to be held in Shanghai, with champions from various countries participating. Huo defeats all his opponents until he meets Itō, a brutish Japanese fighter. As Huo had been secretly poisoned by Wang Xiwen's lackeys, he collapses during the match but he manages to defeat Itō before dying. Chen Zhen continues Huo's legacy by upholding the "Jingwu spirit" and he seeks to bring his teacher's murderers to justice. The final scenes in the last episode are reminiscent of Fist of Fury, where Chen charges into the Hongkou dojo and takes down every Japanese combatant single-handedly before killing Wang Xiwen. The final scene shows Chen charging with a flying kick towards a line of armed soldiers firing at him.
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