Martial Arts Movies Wouldn’t Exist Without Wuxia Xiaoshuo Part II

Wuxia films 1905-1982: Quasi Non-Fiction Wrapped in Fantastical Fight

by Dr. Craig D. Reid

The coolest wuxia film of the 1920’s, Burning of the Red Lotus Temple (1928)

Who could have guessed that the fate of the first 44 years (1905-1949) of wuxia cinema was heavily affected by the sexist attitudes of the Ching Dynasty? It all started in 1772, the year the Ching government banned females from performing on stage, which created the tradition of female impersonators in Beijing Opera.

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