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https://scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3049436/mulans-got-company-6-more-female-martial-arts-masters News & Trends
Mulan’s got company – 6 more female martial arts masters from Chinese fiction and folklore
Classic wuxia novels such as Legends of the Condor Heroes and The Smiling, Proud Wanderer are packed full of fierce female fighters, while the legend of Nie Yin’niang inspired the hit movie The Assassin, starring Shu Qi
Liu Yifei plays Mulan in the live-action film of the same name, but what other female kung fu masters are out there? Photo: Disney
We are all familiar with Disney’s Mulan and her heroic story, but did she really exist in history? First appearing at a poem in Northern Wei dynasty, Mulan’s identity remains a mystery.
One thing is certain, though – Chinese literature is not short of heroines like Mulan, and these female kung fu masters from martial art fictions are just as iconic.
Huang Rong (黄蓉)
Huang Rong, or as known in some English versions, Lotus Huang, is probably the most popular female character of all Chinese martial art fictions. As one of the two leading characters in Louis Cha’s milestone novel A Hero Born: Legends of the Condor Heroes, Huang Rong appears not just as a supporting character for the main guy – her very existence brings the story to life.
When Huang Rong first shows up in the story, she is dressed as a muddy beggar in rugs – just like Mulan, Huang Rong disguised herself as a man. When she finally reveals her identity, her beauty not only captured the love of her life, Guo Jing, but also us readers.
But her stunning look only explains a fraction of why we love her. She is intelligent, mischievous, lively, bold and an excellent cook that can win over any “frenemy”. Most important of all, she not only has top-notch kung fu skills, but uses them to protect her country and the people, which makes her one of the few female roles that earned her name as respected “Xia”.
Zhao Min (赵敏)
Born as a Mongolian princess in the Yuan dynasty, Zhao Min – from the novel The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber by Jin Yong – is not at all a conventional princess. She could lead armies and assist her father in politics. She imprisoned martial artists from different sects, tricked them into fighting each other, while secretly learning their techniques. She fell in love with her rival, pursued him and even disrupted his wedding, eventually winning his love.
She is ambitious, outspoken and intelligent. She is also selfish, sneaky and arbitrary. As skilled as she is, Zhao is not the traditionally respected kung fu master, because she does not join the mainstream, does not respect any rule and does not play by the book. But her fearlessness is what makes her charming – she follows her heart in everything and always fights for what she desires.
As the protagonist in Liang Yusheng’s novel Legend of the White Haired Demoness, Lian Nishang is one of the few female characters who has a martial art fiction novel dedicated to her name, and she deserves it.
Born an orphan and raised by wolves, Lian develops a brave and strong personality, and is never afraid to challenge authority. Using her legendary sword skills, she battles injustice, helps the underprivileged and fights corrupt officials. But because of her brutal and aggressive way of torturing enemies, she is nicknamed “demoness”.
As for the white-haired part? Lian’s hair turned white in one night after being heartbroken by the betrayal of her love. But as a true heroine, she was not defeated, and simply devoted her energy to slaying villains and perfecting her martial art skills. She never accepted the apologies of her lover and we are glad the author did not try to force her into a happily-ever-after.
Xiaolongnü (小龙女)
Long before she was Mulan, back in 2006 Liu Yifei played Xiaolongnü in Chinese TV series The Return of the Condor Heroes, a role which earned her the nickname “fairy sister”.
Famous for her powerful skills, but also for her beautiful figure, elegant manner, and mysterious character, Xiaolongnü (Xiao Long Nv) became the head of the Ancient Tomb Sect at a very young age. She lived a secluded life in the ancient tomb, indifferent to social norms, until she took in Yang Guo as the first male apprentice of the sect and their romance unfolded.
Although the storyline mainly revolves around how Xiaolongnü and her apprentice Yang Guo defy the martial art community to become lovers, it is shown in the story that she has a respected reputation and is one of the most superb female kung fu masters.
Ren Yingying (任盈盈)
As the second most powerful person in The Smiling, Proud Wanderer’s Sun Moon Divine sect, Ren Yingying is highly respected and is addressed by followers as the sacred maiden. She is intelligent, strategic and helped her father seize back leadership of the sect.
Apart from her martial arts technique, Ren is known for her extraordinary musical skills, especially on the zither. She disguised herself as an old lady to teach Ling Huchong music, whom she falls in love with. Ren is also famous for being delicate, composed and extremely shy. She threatens to blind or kill anyone who has seen her with Ling, which also shows another famous trait of hers – ruthlessness.
As one of the oldest Chinese fictional heroines, Nie Yin’niang first appeared at a short story in the Tang dynasty, and has been revived several times since – including Shu Qi’s memorable portrayal in the award-winning film The Assassin by Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-hsien, in 2015.
With her kung fu talent discovered at a young age, Nie was abducted by a nun to receive training. After five years, she returned home with exceptional kung fu skills and became an assassin.
During one assassination mission, Nie was outplayed by the target, General Liu, due to his prophetic skill. Nie admired Liu’s talent and switched to work for him instead. Nie then successfully foiled two major assassinations and protected Liu well, which earned her a reputation as a kung fu master.