WongFëiHung 黃飛鴻


An alleged picture of Wong Fei-hung[1]
Born 9 July 1847
Foshan, Guangdong, Qing Empire
Died 24 May 1924 (aged 76)
Guangzhou, Guangdong, Republic of China
Residence Foshan, Guangdong
Guangzhou, Guangdong
Style Chinese martial arts
Hung Ga
Teacher(s) Wong Kei-ying
Rank Grandmaster
Occupation Martial artist
Physician
Revolutionary
Spouse Ms Luo (1871, her death)
Ms Ma (1896, her death)
Ms Chen (1902, her death)
Mok Kwai-lan (1915-1924, his death)
Notable students Leung Foon
Lam Sai-wing
Tang Fung
Ling Wan-kai
This is a Chinese name; the family name is Wong.
Wong Fei-hung
Traditional Chinese 黃飛鴻
Simplified Chinese 黄飞鸿
[show]Transcriptions
Wong Fei-hung (July 9, 1847 – May 24, 1924)[2] was a Chinese martial artist, a traditional Chinese medicine physician, acupuncturist and revolutionary who became a folk hero and the subject of numerous television series and films. He was considered an expert in the Hung Ga style of Chinese martial arts. Wong is visibly the most famous Hung Ga practitioner of modern times. As such, his lineage has received the most attention.[3]

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, China. A museum dedicated to him was built in Foshan. Wong's most famous disciples included Wong Hon-hei (his son), Lam Sai-wing, Leung Foon, Tang Fung, Wong Sai-wing and Ling Wan-kai. Wong was also associated with "Beggar So" of the Ten Tigers of Canton.

Contents

[hide]
1 Biography
1.1 Personal life
1.2 As a martial artist
2 Portrayal in modern media
2.1 Film and television
2.1.1 Theme song
2.2 Others
3 See also
4 References
5 External links

Wong was born at Mount Xiqiao, Foshan, Guangdong Province, during the reign of the Qing Daoguang Emperor. At the age of five, he started learning Hung Ga from his father, Wong Kei-ying. When he was 13, he learnt the Tour de Force of Iron Wire Fist and sling from Lam Fuk-sing (林福成), a student of "Iron Bridge Three" Leung Kwan, after meeting Lam in Douzhixiang during a martial arts street performance. He learnt the Shadowless Kick from Sung Fai-tong (宋輝鏜) later.

In 1863 at the age of 17, Wong set up his first martial arts school in Shuijiao. 26 years later in 1886, he opened his Po-chi-lam (寶芝林) clinic at Ren'an. In 1919, Wong was invited to perform at Chin Woo Athletic Association's Guangzhou branch during its opening ceremony.

Wong died of illness on May 24, 1924 in Chengxi Fangbian Hospital in Guangdong. He was buried at the foot of Baiyun Mountain. Wong's wife, Mok Kwai-lan (莫桂蘭), and his two sons, along with his disciples Lam Sai-wing and Tang Sai-king (鄧世瓊), later moved to Hong Kong and established martial arts schools there.

In legend, Wong was recruited by Liu Yongfu, commander of the Black Flag Army, to be the army's medical officer and martial arts instructor. Wong also instructed Guangdong's local militia in martial arts. He followed Liu's army to fight the Imperial Japanese Army in Taiwan before as well.

[edit] Personal life

Wong married four times in his life. His last wife, Mok Kwai-lan, died in Hong Kong on March 11, 1982. He had four sons. The oldest, Wong Hon-sam (黃漢森), was shot to death by a colleague in a restaurant in 1923,[4] when he allegedly interfered in a drunken brawl.

[edit] As a martial artist

Wong was a master of Hung Ga (also called Hung Fist). He systematized the predominant style of Hung Ga 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.[citation needed]

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.[citation needed]

[edit] Portrayal in modern media

[edit] Film and television

Main article: Wong Fei-hung filmography
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 a young Wong Fei-hung.
Last Hero in China (1993) – starring Jet Li
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
Around the World in 80 Days (2004) – Sammo Hung appears briefly as Wong Fei-hung.
Television dramas
Shaonian Huang Feihong (2002) – a Chinese TV series featuring Wong Fei-hung as a youth.
My Master is Wong Fei-hung (2004) – a Hong Kong TV series.
Grace Under Fire (2011) - a Hong Kong TV series.
[edit] Theme song

The Chinese folk song On the General's Orders (將軍令) has become popularly associated with Wong Fei-hung because it was used as the theme song of various films about Wong (especially those starring Kwan Tak-hing).

In the Once Upon a Time in China film series, the song was titled A Man Should Better Himself (男兒當自強) while Wong Jim provided the lyrics. The song was performed by George Lam and Jackie Chan (only in a few films).

A rearranged version was rewritten and performed by Dayo Wong as the theme song of Men Don't Cry. Taiwanese singer Kenji Wu performed a song entitled On the General's Orders but the tune is different from the original one.

[edit] 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 Square video game Xenogears, was named after Wong Fei-hung (his name being written the same 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.
Wong Fei Hong is a character in the collectible card game Shadowfist.
There is an American rapper based out of Santa Fe New Mexico that goes by the stage name of Wong Feihung.
[edit] See also

Wong Kei-ying
Ten Tigers of Canton
Wong Fei-hung filmography
[edit] References

^ Source file of the photo. The caption below reads: In 1976, Master Leung Ting (梁挺), who launched the Real Kungfu (真功夫) magazine for a friend, paid a special visit to Wong Fei-hung's wife, Mok Kwai-lan (莫桂蘭). Apart from obtaining first-hand information about Wong Fei-hung from Mok, Leung also got the only available photo of Wong. Unfortunately, the photo was not reproduced on time then and has been preserved by Leung until now, when it is unveiled to the public for the first time.
^ On Hung Gar: History and Practice pg.79 Paperback: 310 pages Publisher: CreateSpace (April 13, 2009) Language: English ISBN 978-1-4421-3747-9
^ Iron Thread. Southern Shaolin Hung Gar Kung Fu Classics Series Paperback: 186 pages Publisher: CreateSpace (December 15, 2008) Language: English ISBN 978-1-4404-7500-9
^ (Chinese) Chapter 19 of Wulin Qixia Huang Feihong Zhengzhuan (武林奇侠黄飞鸿正传) by Han Chunmeng

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wong_Fei_Hung