Ode to Gallantry
Encyclopedia
Ode to Gallantry is a wuxia
novel by Jin Yong, first serialized between June 11, 1966 and April 19, 1967 on Ming Pao
. The novel shares the same Chinese title as a poem by the Tang Dynasty
poet Li Bai
, which is used as its epigraph.
(cf. Twelfth Night and The Comedy of Errors
).
The protagonist, who refers to himself as "Gouzazhong" (狗雜種; literally means "the mongrel dog", a colloquialism for "bastard"), first appears as a young beggar living on the streets of Kaifeng
, searching for his lost mother. He witnesses a fight between several wulin
pugilists and meets the pugilist Shi couple and members of the Snowy Mountain Sect (雪山派). An accident causes him to be taken away from Kaifeng by a pugilist called Xie Yanke, to Xie's secluded home on Motian Cliff. Xie Yanke, who is frequently bothered by Gouzazhong, decides to teach him martial arts. Gouzazhong learns qi
cultivation techniques under Xie Yanke's tutelage for six years. Gouzazhong is unaware that Xie Yanke actually harbours ill intentions towards him and has been teaching him the wrong methods, in hope that Gouzazhong will sustain internal wounds and die eventually.
At the same time, the leader of the Changle Sect, Shi Potian (whose real name is Shi Zhongyu), mysteriously disappears. The greater part of the novel deals with the complications that arise as Gouzhazhong is mistaken to be Shi Zhongyu, not only by members of the sect (for ulterior motives), by also by Shi Zhongyu's parents, the Shi couple, by Shi Zhongyu's lover, Ding Dang, and by the members of the Snowy Mountain Sect. Although the two bears a splitting resemblance, their characters cannot be more different: Gouzhazhong is simple, honest and clever, while Shi Zhongyu, the son of the Shi couple, has a bad reputation as a lewd and sly womanizer. In the process Gouzhazhong acquires consummate martial arts skills. Gouzazhong is hounded by members of the Snowy Mountain Sect who mistakes him for Shi Zhongyu who had molested A'xiu, the granddaughter of the head of the Snowy Mountain Sect. He acquires A'xiu as his girlfriend after various episodes, during which the misunderstandings clear up.
The novel culminates in an episode when the leaders of various sects are coerced into going to a secluded island by a pair of mysterious, highly skilled messengers to celebrate the Laba Festival
by eating the Laba congee. The story then leads to a surprising conclusion: revelations on the island and more revelations concerning Gouzhazhong's true parentage.
Wuxia
Wuxia is a broad genre of Chinese fiction concerning the adventures of martial artists. Although wuxia is traditionally a form of literature, its popularity has caused it to spread to diverse art forms like Chinese opera, manhua , films, television series, and video games...
novel by Jin Yong, first serialized between June 11, 1966 and April 19, 1967 on Ming Pao
Ming Pao
Ming Pao is a Chinese language newspaper published by Ming Pao Group in Hong Kong. In the 1990s, Ming Pao established four overseas branches in North America, each provides independent reporting on local news and collect local advertisements. Currently, only the two Canadian editions remain: Ming...
. The novel shares the same Chinese title as a poem by the Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
poet Li Bai
Li Bai
Li Bai , also known in the West by various other transliterations, especially Li Po, was a major Chinese poet of the Tang dynasty poetry period. He has been regarded as one of the greatest poets in China's Tang period, which is often called China's "golden age" of poetry. Around a thousand existing...
, which is used as its epigraph.
Plot
The plot centers on a case of mistaken identity between a pair of identical twins, which in his afterword Jin Yong acknowledges resemble some works of William ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
(cf. Twelfth Night and The Comedy of Errors
The Comedy of Errors
The Comedy of Errors is one of William Shakespeare's earliest plays. It is his shortest and one of his most farcical comedies, with a major part of the humour coming from slapstick and mistaken identity, in addition to puns and word play. The Comedy of Errors is one of only two of Shakespeare's...
).
The protagonist, who refers to himself as "Gouzazhong" (狗雜種; literally means "the mongrel dog", a colloquialism for "bastard"), first appears as a young beggar living on the streets of Kaifeng
Kaifeng
Kaifeng , known previously by several names , is a prefecture-level city in east-central Henan province, Central China. Nearly 5 million people live in the metropolitan area...
, searching for his lost mother. He witnesses a fight between several wulin
Jianghu
The jianghu is the milieu, environment, or sub-community, often fictional, in which many Chinese wuxia stories are set.In modern Chinese culture, jianghu is commonly accepted as an alternative universe coexisting with the actual historical one in which the context of the wuxia genre was set...
pugilists and meets the pugilist Shi couple and members of the Snowy Mountain Sect (雪山派). An accident causes him to be taken away from Kaifeng by a pugilist called Xie Yanke, to Xie's secluded home on Motian Cliff. Xie Yanke, who is frequently bothered by Gouzazhong, decides to teach him martial arts. Gouzazhong learns qi
Qi
In traditional Chinese culture, qì is an active principle forming part of any living thing. Qi is frequently translated as life energy, lifeforce, or energy flow. Qi is the central underlying principle in traditional Chinese medicine and martial arts...
cultivation techniques under Xie Yanke's tutelage for six years. Gouzazhong is unaware that Xie Yanke actually harbours ill intentions towards him and has been teaching him the wrong methods, in hope that Gouzazhong will sustain internal wounds and die eventually.
At the same time, the leader of the Changle Sect, Shi Potian (whose real name is Shi Zhongyu), mysteriously disappears. The greater part of the novel deals with the complications that arise as Gouzhazhong is mistaken to be Shi Zhongyu, not only by members of the sect (for ulterior motives), by also by Shi Zhongyu's parents, the Shi couple, by Shi Zhongyu's lover, Ding Dang, and by the members of the Snowy Mountain Sect. Although the two bears a splitting resemblance, their characters cannot be more different: Gouzhazhong is simple, honest and clever, while Shi Zhongyu, the son of the Shi couple, has a bad reputation as a lewd and sly womanizer. In the process Gouzhazhong acquires consummate martial arts skills. Gouzazhong is hounded by members of the Snowy Mountain Sect who mistakes him for Shi Zhongyu who had molested A'xiu, the granddaughter of the head of the Snowy Mountain Sect. He acquires A'xiu as his girlfriend after various episodes, during which the misunderstandings clear up.
The novel culminates in an episode when the leaders of various sects are coerced into going to a secluded island by a pair of mysterious, highly skilled messengers to celebrate the Laba Festival
Laba Festival
The Laba Festival is a traditional Chinese holiday celebrated on the eighth day of the twelfth month of the lunar Chinese calendar...
by eating the Laba congee. The story then leads to a surprising conclusion: revelations on the island and more revelations concerning Gouzhazhong's true parentage.
Films
| Year | | Production | | Shi Potian | | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Shaw Brothers Studio Shaw Brothers Studio The Shaw Brothers Studio , owned by Shaw Brothers Ltd., was the foremost and the largest movie production company of Hong Kong movies.From their distribution base in Singapore where they founded parent company Shaw Organization in 1924, and as a strategic development of their movie distribution... (Hong Kong) |
Philip Kwok Philip Kwok -Filmography:*The Eye 2 - Monk*The Sunshine Cops *Tomorrow Never Dies - General Chang non speaking appearance*The Phantom Lover *American Shaolin - Cab Driver*Hard Boiled - Mad Dog... |
See Ode to Gallantry (film) Ode to Gallantry (film) Ode To Gallantry, also known as Hap Haak Hang, is a 1982 Hong Kong film based on Louis Cha's novel of the same title. The film was produced by the Shaw Brothers Studio, directed by Chang Cheh and starred the Venom Mob... |
Television
| Year | | Production | | Shi Potian | | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | CTS Chinese Television System Chinese Television System is a broadcast television station in Republic of China .-History:Founded on October 31, 1971, CTS started off as a joint venture between the ROC's Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Education. At the time of its establishment, CTS was the only VHF-supported... (Taiwan) |
Max Mok | See Ode to Gallantry (1985 TV series) Ode to Gallantry (1985 TV series) Ode to Gallantry is a Taiwanese television series adapted from Louis Cha's novel of the same title. The series was broadcast on CTS in Taiwan in 1985.-Cast:*Max Mok as Xiaogouzi / Shi Zhongyu*Chao Yung-hsin as Ding Dang*Chao Chia-jung as A'xiu... |
| 1989 | TVB Television Broadcasts Limited Television Broadcasts Limited, commonly known as TVB, is the second over-the-air commercial television station in Hong Kong. It commenced broadcasting on 19 November 1967... (Hong Kong) |
Tony Leung | See Hap Hak Hang Hap Hak Hang Hap Hak Hang is a Hong Kong television series adapted from Louis Cha's novel Ode to Gallantry. The series was first broadcast on TVB in Hong Kong in 1989.-Cast:*Tony Leung as Shek Po-tin / Shek Chung-yuk*Sheren Tang as Ting Tong... |
| 2002 | Mainland China | Wu Jian | See Ode to Gallantry (2002 TV series) Ode to Gallantry (2002 TV series) Ode to Gallantry is a Chinese television series adapted from Louis Cha's novel of the same title. The series was first broadcast on NMTV in China in 2002.-Cast:*Wu Jian as Shi Potian / Shi Zhongyu*Zhou Li as Ding Dang*Deng Jiajia as Shi Jian... |
External links
Ode to Gallantry on Baidu BaikeBaidu Baike
Baidu Encyclopedia is a Chinese language collaborative Web-based encyclopedia provided by the Chinese search engine Baidu. Like Baidu itself, the encyclopedia is heavily self-censored in line with government regulations....