Editing Wuxia (section)

===20th century===
The modern wuxia genre rose to prominence in the early 20th century after the [[May Fourth Movement]] of 1919. A new literature evolved, calling for a break with Confucian values, and the xia emerged as a symbol of personal freedom, defiance to Confucian tradition, and rejection of the Chinese family system.<ref name="HeroicCinema"/>

Xiang Kairan (pen name [[Pingjiang Buxiaosheng]]) became the first notable wuxia writer, with his debut novel being ''[[Jianghu Qixia Zhuan|The Peculiar Knights-Errant of the Jianghu]]'' (江湖奇俠傳).<ref>{{cite book|last1=Doleželová-Velingerová|first1=Milena|title=Selective Guide to Chinese Literature 1900–1949: The Novel|date=1988|publisher=E.J. Brill|location=Leiden|isbn=9004078800|pages=176–177}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Liu |first1=James J. Y. |title=The Chinese Knight Errant |date=1976 |publisher=Routledge & Kegan Paul |isbn=9781032257792 |location=London |pages=135–136}}</ref> It was serialised from 1921 to 1928 and was adapted into the first wuxia film, ''[[The Burning of the Red Lotus Temple]]'' (1928).<ref>{{cite web|last1=Xu|first1=Yaping|title=平江不肖生的传奇生涯(二) [The Life of Pingjiang Buxiaosheng (Part 2)]|url=http://www.confucianism.com.cn/html/wenxue/13753100.html|website=中国国学网 [confucianism.com.cn]|publisher=Hunan Daily|access-date=25 December 2014|location=China|language=zh|date=9 November 2011|archive-date=14 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150514181439/http://www.confucianism.com.cn/html/wenxue/13753100.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Zhao Huanting]] (趙煥亭), who wrote ''[[Qixia Jingzhong Zhuan|Chronicles of the Loyal Knights-Errant]]'' (奇俠精忠傳, serialised 1923–27), was another well-known wuxia writer based in Shanghai.<ref>{{cite web|title=北趙: 趙煥亭 [Zhao of the North: Zhao Huanting]|url=http://edu.ocac.gov.tw/culture/chinese/cul_kungfu/c/2-2-12.htm|website=中華武俠文化網 [Chinese Wusia [sic] Knight-errant]|publisher=Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission Taiwan, Republic of China|access-date=25 December 2014|language=zh|archive-date=16 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131016082659/http://edu.ocac.gov.tw/culture/chinese/cul_kungfu/c/2-2-12.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> Starting from the 1930s, wuxia works proliferated and its centre shifted to Beijing and [[Tianjin]] in northern China. The most prolific writers there were collectively referred to as the ''Five Great Masters of the Northern School'' (北派五大家): [[Huanzhulouzhu]], who wrote ''[[Legend of the Swordsmen of the Mountains of Shu|The Swordspeople from Shu Mountains]]'' (蜀山劍俠傳); [[Gong Baiyu]] (宮白羽), who wrote ''[[Twelve Coin Darts]]'' (十二金錢鏢); [[Wang Dulu]], who wrote ''[[The Crane-Iron Pentalogy]]'' (鹤鉄五部作); [[Zheng Zhengyin]] (郑証因), who wrote ''[[The King of Eagle Claws]]'' (鹰爪王); [[Zhu Zhenmu]] (朱貞木), who wrote ''[[The Seven 'Kill' Stele]]'' (七殺碑).<ref>{{cite web|title=民初舊派武俠作家 ['Old School' Wuxia Writers of the Early Republican Era]|url=http://edu.ocac.gov.tw/culture/chinese/cul_kungfu/c/2-2.htm|website=中華武俠文化網 [Chinese Wusia [sic] Knight-errant]|publisher=Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission Taiwan, Republic of China|access-date=25 December 2014|language=zh}}</ref>

Wuxia fiction was banned at various times during the [[Republic of China (1912–1949)|Republican era]] and these restrictions stifled the growth of the genre.<ref name="HeroicCinema"/> In 1949, China also banned martial arts novels as vulgar reading. In Taiwan, the government banned several wuxia works in 1959.<ref>{{Cite news |title=從被禁到暢銷 金庸文學在台灣的非凡影響 |language=zh-hant |work=BBC News 中文 |url=https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/trad/chinese-news-46042197 |access-date=2023-07-29}}</ref> Despite this, wuxia prevailed in other Chinese-speaking regions. In Hong Kong, between the 1960s and 1980s, the genre entered a [[golden age]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Qin |first=Amy |date=2 November 2018 |title=Jin Yong, 94, Lionized Author of Chinese Martial Arts Epics, Dies |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/02/obituaries/jin-yong-dead.html |access-date=2023-03-01 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Writers such as [[Liang Yusheng]] and Louis Cha ([[Jin Yong]]) spearheaded the founding of a "new school" of the wuxia genre that differed largely from its predecessors. They wrote serials for newspapers and magazines. They also incorporated several fictional themes such as mystery and romance from other cultures. In Taiwan, [[Wolong Sheng]], [[Sima Ling]], [[Zhuge Qingyun]] (諸葛青雲), [[Shiao Yi]] (萧逸) and [[Gu Long]] became the region's best known wuxia writers. After them, writers such as [[Woon Swee Oan]] and [[Huang Yi (author)|Huang Yi]] rose to prominence in a later period. [[Chen Yu-hui]] is a contemporary female wuxia novelist who made her debut with the novel ''[[Tianguan Shuangxia|The Tian-Guan Duo Heroes]]'' (天觀雙俠).<ref>{{cite web|last1=Li|first1=Junjie|title=台湾"女金庸"坐月子写巨著 [Taiwan's "Female Jin Yong" wrote her masterpiece in her post-pregnancy period]|url=http://gb.cri.cn/12764/2007/08/29/2905@1737819.htm|website=世界新闻报 [World News Journal]|access-date=25 December 2014|language=zh|date=29 August 2007}}</ref>

There have also been works created after the 1980s which attempt to create a post-wuxia genre. [[Yu Hua]], one of the more notable writers from this period, published a counter-genre short story titled ''[[Blood and Plum Blossoms]]'', in which the protagonist goes on a quest to avenge his murdered father.

Wuxia as a genre has also spread to [[Korean literature]]. The shared themes in both culture seem to be honor, revenge, martial sects and mystical prowess. While Chinese wuxia stories incorporate Daoist and Buddhist philosophy, Korean adaptations tend to put more weight in Confucius principles. Korean historical dramas depict martial arts but tend to downplay the mysticism though there are stories where it is instead embraced like the series [[Gu Family Book|''Gu family book'']]. The influence of Wuxia can also be found in games, manhwa and light novel in which the settings are depicted in ancient times with distinct wuxia aesthetics.