Wuxia

AKA: wǔ xiá, 武侠
(Pronounced “ōō-shä”)

A Mandarin-language term that refers to a uniquely Chinese variant of popular literary, theatrical and cinematic fiction typified by knights-errant engaged in chivalrous acts of daring and martial conflict predominately residing within a martial underworld known as jiang hu and set in ancient China. People who populate the realm of jiang hu generally operate outside of the law and established society. They may possess superhuman abilities such as defying gravity or emitting blasts of qi energy from an open palm. Broad swords are the most common weapon of the knight-errant. Whips, spears, unconventional hidden weapons like poison darts, and other varied weaponry of ancient China are also quite commonly featured.

Although still not widely recognized outside of Mandarin-speaking territories, wuxia has become an established term among English speakers, particularly cineasts, to identify a film and television genre that could otherwise be more broadly labeled as Chinese swordplay, martial arts, kung fu, fantasy, costume, or historical action. However, there are some distinct differences between these labels and the wuxia genre, most notably the jiang hu setting and knightly activities.