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If you were a wanderer in the liminal, chaotic space of jianghu (martial arts world), who would you be? #literaryjianghu
what would be your driving motivation?
what would be your backstory?
what kind of sect / order would you be connected to?
What would people THINK your story is about or want it to be about but they're totally wrong?
How does you wuxia alter ego realistically earn a living in this jianghu world? (the thing that so many wuxia stories avoid touching on)
In contrast to above, if you were in a romanticized wuxia story, how would you be surviving?
As a character in jianghu, where is your home?
What is your secret to success as a wanderer in jianghu?
If you enjoyed this series of tweets, please check out my contextual notes and translation of Tang legend "The Woman in the Carriage" for more on the early origins and tropes of wuxia stories :)
If I think of more polls I'll add them here :) http://yilinwang.com/the-woman-in-the-carriage/
If I think of more polls I'll add them here :) http://yilinwang.com/the-woman-in-the-carriage/
what food item did you get your powers from?
Who or what is the your worst enemy?
人在江湖，身不由己
"When one is in jianghu, one has little choice"
人在江湖，身不由己
"When one is in jianghu, one has little choice"
We have reached the climax of this story thread. What is the surprise ending to your jianghu journey?
#literaryiianghu
#literaryiianghu
Please feel free to share the stories you made up through this series of choose-your-own-adventure tweets and add other wuxia tropes or subversions you can think of :)
Thank you to everyone who has participated in this choose-your-own-adventure tweet about the wuxia martial arts fiction and jianghu tropes.
I'm here to share a little bit more about my research that inspired #literaryjianghu.
I'm here to share a little bit more about my research that inspired #literaryjianghu.
In 2018, I went to HK and also Mainland China, to do research on wuxia. I started in HK, where I went to Jin Yong Gallery, did some research at the Hong Kong Public Library, and talked to some martial artists, including someone who did a documentary called Kung Fu Quest.
Then I went to places like the Shaolin Temple 少林寺 and Mt. Wudang 武当山. I also focused on ancient capitals like Xi’an 西安 and Luoyang 洛阳 because of my interest in history. My family is from Sichuan 四川, and Sichuan has many xianxia 仙侠 fiction writers.
I also went to the city of Kaifeng 开封, one of the Song dynasty capitals, where I visited an open-air museum where they recreated the Song dynasty jianghu based on Outlaws of the Marsh水浒传. There were actors dressed up in period costumes, like guards, or xiake 俠客 (warriors).
You can read my most thorough interview about my #literaryjianghu research here. I'll be posting a bit more about my research discoveries tomorrow and hosting an AMA so remember to check back in the morning :) http://yilinwang.com/interview-translated-chinese-fiction/
This is @yilinwriter signing off for the night. Please also check out my Twitter and #literaryjianghu if you enjoy these tweets.
