ARTiculate Chinese Language and Culture - The 'Xianxia' genre of fantasy TV dramas

‘Xianxia’ (仙侠; ‘Immortal Heroes’) is a fantasy TV genre based on Chinese mythology. In recent years, Xianxia dramas have become a huge pop culture phenomenon in China: the internet is full of ‘top 10’ Xianxia series lists, and the dramas have helped to revive classical Chinese dress in high fashion, pop culture and cosplay spheres. True fans know that to understand Xianxia characters and their worlds, they need knowledge of classical Chinese mythology and thought. This talk uses samples from a variety of Xianxia dramas to provide insight into the stories, ideas and beliefs behind them. It also looks at new trends and internet buzzwords that they have inspired, shining a light on how Chinese traditions are gaining a new life in contemporary society.

Presented by Dr Yu Sang, Academic Fellow in Chinese Studies, School of Languages and Culture, University of Sydney.

Video references used:
• Love and Destiny (Shanghai GCOO Entertainment, 2019).
• Chinese Paladin (Chinese Entertainment Shanghai, 2005).
• The Journey of Flower (Ciwen TV, 2015).
• Eternal Lover (Croton MEGA HIT, 2017).
• The Legend of Chusen (H&R Century Pictures, 2016).
• Fighter of the Destiny (Tencent Media, Limon Pictures, Yuewen Media, 2017).
• The Untame (Tencent Penguin Pictures, 2019).
• Word of Honor (Ciwen Media, 2021).