Chu Liuxiang

Chu Liuxiang
Chu Liuxiang
Created by Gu Long
Novel appearances Chu Liuxiang Series
Information
Nickname(s) "Xiangshuai",
"Daoshuai"
Gender Male
Spouse(s) Zhang Jiejie
Affliations
Teachers Ye Di
Skills and abilities
Weapons Fan
Chu Liuxiang
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese 楚留香
Simplified Chinese 楚留香
Vietnamese name
Vietnamese Sở Lưu Hương

Chu Liuxiang is the fictional protagonist of the wuxia novel series Chu Liuxiang Series (楚留香系列) by Gu Long.

Just like the Anglo-Saxon legend of Robin Hood, Chu Liuxiang is a thief who robs from the rich to help the poor and one who upholds justice in the jianghu. He is nicknamed "Daoshuai" (盜帥; Bandit Chief) or more popularly, "Xiangshuai" (香帥; Chief Xiang). He is intelligent and observant, kind and compassionate. His name "Liuxiang" literally means "lingering fragrance".

Contents

Personal information

Chu Liuxiang is a martial arts exponent whose prowess in qinggong is unmatched. He wields a fan as his weapon and uses it only for self-defence. He relies on his wit, experience and calm to solve several mysteries and overcome several enemies who are more powerful than him. The identity of Chu Liuxiang's martial arts teacher is unknown, and even the well-informed Shuimu Yinji (水母陰姬) could only deduce that he is a disciple of Ye Di (夜帝), a character from Daqi Yingxiong Zhuan (大旗英雄傳).[1]

Chu Liuxiang's age is not specified in the series as well and he is estimated to be around 30 years of age. In Bianfu Chuanqi (蝙蝠傳奇), Chu Liuxiang's childhood friend Hu Tiehua (胡鐵花) is said to be 33 years old. Chu Liuxiang's age is estimated to be close to Hu Tiehua's.

Chu Liuxiang resides on a boathouse called "Xiang Boathouse" (香榭), which also functions as his headquarters. Living together with him are three women, who are the closest people to him apart from his best friends, Hu Tiehua and Ji Bingyan (姬冰雁). They accompany him together in Tiexue Chuanqi (鐵血傳奇). They come from pitiful family backgrounds and have been following Chu Liuxiang on his adventures since they were 11 or 12. The first, Su Rongrong (蘇蓉蓉), is kind and understanding and specialises in the art of disguise. The second, Li Hongxiu (李紅袖), is very clear and alert and has a good memory. The third one, Song Tian'er (宋甜兒), is a good cook and is the most mischievous and adorable of the three. Chu Liuxiang also meets several other beautiful maidens on his adventures, such as Black Pearl (黑珍珠), Shi Xiuyun (石繡雲), Hua Zhenzhen (華真真), Dong Sanniang (東三娘) and Xinyue (新月). He marries Zhang Jiejie (张潔潔) eventually, whom he meets in Taohua Chuanqi (桃花傳奇).

Chu Liuxiang also has a wide network of friends. They include: Monk Wuhua (無花和尚), who becomes his foe later; Ji Bingyan, who appears cold and indifferent but is actually very warm-hearted; Zhongyuan Yidianhong (中原一點紅), a powerful swordsman; Zuo Qinghou (左輕侯), the hospitable master of Zhibei manor; "Swift Net" Zhang San (張三).

Novels

Chu Liuxiang Series
Xuehai Piaoxiang
Da Shamo
Huameiniao
Bianfu Chuanqi
Guilian Xiaqing
Taohua Chuanqi
Xinyue Chuanqi
Wuye Lanhua
Author Gu Long
Country Taiwan
Language Chinese
Genre Wuxia, romance, adventure, mystery
Media type Print

Chu Liuxiang Chuanqi

Chinese title: 楚留香傳奇; literally: The Legend of Chu Liuxiang

The three novels, Xuehai Piaoxiang, Da Shamo and Huameiniao, are collectively known as Chu Liuxiang Chuanqi novel series.

Xuehai Piaoxiang

Chinese title: 血海飄香; literally: Fragrance in the Sea of Blood

Chu Liuxiang steals a rare flower from the capital city and brings it back to his boathouse to take care of it himself. Later, he sees the corpses of several top pugilists in the jianghu floating on the water surface drifting towards him. This arouses his interest and he decides to investigate their deaths. Meanwhile, the Heaven's One Holy Water (天一神水) of the Holy Water Palace (神水宮) is stolen and Chu Liuxiang becomes the suspect. Monk Wuhua is eventually revealed to be the mastermind behind all the mysterious events and murders. Chu Liuxiang confronts Wuhua and defeats him in a fight and Wuhua commits suicide.

Da Shamo

Chinese title: 大沙漠; literally: The Vast Desert

Chu Liuxiang returns to his boathouse and realises that Su Rongrong, Li Hongxiu and Song Tian'er are missing. The three maidens are the closest to him besides his friends and he knows that they will not leave without notifying him. He sets forth on a long journey in search of them and reaches the desert. He meets his friends Hu Tiehua and Ji Bingyan there. Through a series of adventures, Chu Liuxiang defeats the extraordinary Shi Guanyin and her son Wuhua, who had apparently committed suicide previously. Shi Guanyin commits suicide after her defeat. However, Chu Liuxiang has not found the missing girls yet.

Huameiniao

Chinese title: 畫眉鳥; literally: The Thrush

Chu Liuxiang has a series of adventures with Li Yuhan (李玉函) and his wife Liu Wumei (柳無眉). Liu Wumei is formerly a disciple of Shi Guanyin. He engages Shuimu Yinji (水母陰姬) in a dramatic battle that shocks the entire jianghu and emerges victorious. Chu Liuxiang exposes an evil scheme in front of Li Yuhan's father, Li Guanyu (李觀魚), and rescues the three missing maidens.

Chu Liuxiang Xinzhuan

Chinese title: 楚留香新傳; literally: New Legend of Chu Liuxiang

The five novels, Bianfu Chuanqi, Guilian Xiaqing, Taohua Chuanqi, Xinyue Chuanqi and Wuye Lanhua, are collectively known as the Chu Liuxiang Xinzhuan novel series.

Bianfu Chuanqi

Chinese title: 蝙蝠傳奇; literally: Legend of the Bat

Guilian Xiaqing

Chinese title: 鬼戀俠情; literally: Phantom Love and Heroic Romance

Chu Liuxiang encounters a pair of lovers who are forbidden to be together by their parents. The lovers have apparently changed their souls after falling ill in order to trick their parents so that they can be together. Chu Liuxiang unravels the mystery behind the case and helps the lovers be together.

Taohua Chuanqi

Chinese title: 桃花傳奇; literally: Legend of the Peach Blossom

The end of this story resembles the famous paradox in the English short story The Lady, or the Tiger?.

Xinyue Chuanqi

Chinese title: 新月傳奇; literally: Legend of the New Moon

The people living near the sea face constant raids from pirates. The imperial court dispatches the most famous sect in the jianghu, Jade Sword Manor (玉劍山莊), to eliminate the pirates. Unexpectedly, the elimination of the pirates leads to the emergence of a new pirate lord, Heavenly King Shi (史天王), who becomes the new threat to the Imperial Court on the sea. To make peace with King Shi, the imperial court asks the Jade Sword Manor's leader to offer her daughter Princess Jade Sword's (玉劍公主) hand in marriage to King Shi. This arouses the attention of several pugilists and sects in the jianghu. It is apparent that the jianghu is about to experience some turmoil soon. Chu Liuxiang seems to be the only one who can save them.

Wuye Lanhua

Chinese title: 午夜蘭花; literally: The Midnight Orchid

Adaptations

Films

Year Production Chu Liuxiang Additional information
1977 Shaw Brothers Studio
(Hong Kong)
Ti Lung See Clans of Intrigue
1978 See Legend of the Bat
1979 Taiwan See The Legend of Broken Sword
1980 Liu Dekai Chinese title 楚留香傳奇
See Chu Liu Hsiang and Hu Tieh Hua
Meng Fei See Everlasting Chivalry
See The Sun Moon Legend
Chinese title 桃花傳奇
Tin Hok See Middle Kingdom's Mark of Blood
1982 Shaw Brothers Studio
(Hong Kong)
Ti Lung See Perils of the Sentimental Swordsman
Taiwan Meng Fei Chinese title 楚留香之彈指神功[2]
1983 Adam Cheng See Demon Fighter
See The Denouncement of Chu Liu Hsiang
1993 Meng Fei Chinese title 楚留香後傳之西門無恨
Hong Kong Aaron Kwok See Legend of the Liquid Sword

Television

Year Production Chu Liuxiang Additional information
1979 TVB (Hong Kong) Adam Cheng See Chor Lau-heung (1979 TV series)
RTV (Hong Kong) Poon Chi-man Chinese title 俠盜風流
1984 TVB (Hong Kong) Michael Miu See The New Adventures of Chor Lau-heung (1984 TV series)
1985 CTV (Taiwan) Adam Cheng See Chor Lau-heung (1985 TV series)
1995 TTV (Taiwan) See Chor Lau-heung (1995 TV series)
2000 Taiwan Chinese title 西門無恨
2001 Co-production Richie Ren See The New Adventures of Chor Lau-heung (2001 TV series)
2007 Mainland China Ken Chu See The Legend of Chu Liuxiang

Video games

  • Chu Liuxiang Xinzhuan (楚留香新傳) - a RPG released in 2001 by Taiwan's UserJoy Technology. The game's story line is based on four novels in the series: Guilian Xiaqing, Taohua Chuanqi, Xinyue Chuanqi and Wuye Lanhua.

Notes

External links


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