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- This is a Chinese name; the family name is Wong.
| 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 medical doctor revolutionary |
| Notable relatives | Wong Kei Ying (father) |
| Notable students | Leung Foon Lam Sai-wing Tang Fung Ling Wan Gai |
Wong Fei Hung or Hwang Fei Hung (traditional Chinese: 黃飛鴻; simplified Chinese: 黄飞鸿; pinyin: Huáng Fēihóng; Cantonese Yale: Wòhng Fēihùhng) (1847–1924) was a martial artist, a traditional Chinese medicine physician and revolutionary who became a Chinese folk hero and the subject of numerous television series and films.
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 province, China. A museum dedicated to him was built in Foshan.
Wong's most famous disciples included Lam Sai-wing, Leung Foon, Tang Fung and Ling Wan Gai. Wong was also associated with Beggar So.
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Biography
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Early years
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According to legend, Wong Fei Hung was born in Foshan on the 9th day of the 7th month of the 27th year of the reign of the Daoguang Emperor (c. 1847). When Wong was five, he began practicing martial arts under the tutelage of his father Wong Kei-Ying, who was one of the "Ten Tigers of Canton". To increase their family income, Wong followed his father to travel around Guangdong province to stage martial arts performances and sell medicine.
At the age of 13, Wong met Lam Fuk Sing, the first apprentice of Tit Kiu Saam, in Douzhixiang, Foshan, while giving a martial arts demonstration. Lam taught Wong the "Tour de Force" of Iron Wire Fist and Sling, which helped Wong become a master of Hung Ga. When he was 16, Wong set up martial arts schools at Shuijiao, Guangdong, and then opened his clinic Po-Chi-Lam (寶芝林) at Renan Street in Foshan.
Later years
Wong was recruited by Jiming Provincial Commander-in-Chief Wu Quanmei and Liu Yongfu to be the medical officer and martial arts drill instructor of the military and local militia of Guangdong. Wong followed Liu Yongfu to fight the Japanese army in Taiwan later. Wong lost his son and Po-Chi-Lam in his later years in a blaze. Wong died of illness on the 25th day of the 3rd month in 1924 at Chengxi Fangbian Hospital in Guangdong. Wong's wife and his students Lam Sai-wing and Tang Sai-King moved to Hong Kong later, where they continued Wong's legacy by teaching his martial arts. Wong's became a legendary folk hero as his real life story was romanticised in print and on screen.
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 the young Wong Fei Hung.
- 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
- Last Hero in China (1995) - starring Jet Li
- Around the World in 80 Days (2004) - Sammo Hung appears briefly as Wong Fei Hung.
- TV series
- Shao Nian Huang Fei Hong (2002) - a Chinese TV series featuring Wong Fei Hung as a youth.
- My Master is Wong Fei Hung (2004) - a Hong Kong TV series.
Theme song
Because it was used as the theme song of various Wong Fei Hung films (particularly the versions starring Kwan Tak Hing), the Chinese folk song On the General's Orders (將軍令) is now associated with Wong Fei Hung.
- In the Once Upon a Time in China series, the theme song was titled A Man Should Better Himself (男兒當自強), with lyrics written by Wong Jim to On the General's Orders. It was performed by George Lam.
- A rearranged version was rewritten and performed by Dayo Wong as the theme song of Men Don't Cry.
- Kenji Wu performed a version based on the iconic theme song.
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
References
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Wong Fei Hung |
- www.wongfeihung.com
- HKCuk- Brief History on Wong Fei Hung
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