Taocheng, Silk Weaving City, the source of Cantonese Opera, the capital of Chinese patent medicine in Lingnan, and the developed place of southern martial arts, these seemingly irrelevant titles all point to the same place in history and today. This is the birthplace of Huang Feihong, Foshan, named after the Tang Dynasty.
This place is only half an hour's drive from Guangzhou. Since ancient times, the water network has been vertical and horizontal and the transportation is convenient. It is a logistics distribution center in eastern, central, western, northern and eastern Guangdong. As early as the Tang and Song Dynasties, handicrafts and commerce were very developed. In Ming and Qing dynasties, it was three steps, one shop and one dock. Ranked first among the "four famous towns" and second among the "four big parties" except the capital. Foshan has proved the close interaction between economic and cultural development. The highly developed commodity economy in history has also promoted the prosperity of folk culture and art here. Shiwan pottery, which is more expensive than gold, constantly innovates and improves the art of Cantonese opera with fake autumn techniques. The cultural achievements that were formed or developed or stereotyped or became famous in those years are still remarkable today after thousands of years.
Different from many places, the background of the rise of Foshan Wushu is a highly developed commodity economy. However, due to the flat terrain and no natural steep barrier guards, in order to protect themselves, the locals have long had the habit of practicing martial arts and strengthening themselves. There is an example in history to show the martial spirit of Foshan people at that time: 1449 (14th year of Ming Dynasty), Huang Xiaoyang set out to besiege Guangzhou, and at the same time divided his troops to attack Foshan, all the way like bamboo. At that time, Foshan was only a township-level organizational system under the jurisdiction of Nanhai County. The authorities did not send troops to station, and all preventive measures were taken by local authorities. As a result, squire Liang Guang and other 22 people organized Xiang Yong in only one day, and persisted for half a month, killing thousands of enemies until Huang Xiao failed to raise troops. According to historical records, there are many brave and resourceful people among them.
Many secret organizations that tried to fight against the Qing Dynasty and regain their sight began to set up offices in Foshan, an economically developed city. For example, Wushuntang, which appeared in Shiwan in the early Qing Dynasty, was the earliest organization of the Hong Men Society in the Pearl River Delta. During the Yongzheng period, in order to avoid the pursuit of the imperial court, Peking Opera artist Tan Shouwu (Zhang Wu) moved from Hubei to Foshan and began to teach northern martial arts in the troupe, including the pushing skill of Wing Chun Boxing. 1853, Li, an actor of Foshan Cantonese Opera and the boxer of the Heaven and Earth Society, even raised the banner of anti-Qing and regaining sight, and went all the way south to Guangxi to establish Dacheng.
The wealthy economy has also attracted many Wulin people. By the end of Qing Dynasty, when Huang Feihong was born, the martial arts in Foshan had entered its heyday: Zhang Yan, the founder of Cai Lifo, founded Hongsheng Pavilion in Foshan on +085 1, and his disciples set up pavilions in Guangzhou and Hong Kong successively. The first disciple, Chen Sheng, was born in Sanshui. When he succeeded, there were more than 10,000 librarians, which was the largest martial arts school in China at that time, and Cai Lifo Quan also became the largest martial arts school in Guangdong at that time. In addition, Wing Chun Boxing introduced to Foshan in the late Qing Dynasty was carried forward by Liang Zan, a famous teacher, with many disciples. Foshan has become the center of southern martial arts.
With the outbreak of the Opium War and the rise of modern capitalist industry represented by Jichanglong Silk Reeling Factory built by Chen Qiyuan in Xiqiao, the local family-owned handicraft industry in Foshan has been greatly impacted, and a large number of workers have lost their jobs. In addition, due to the long-term lack of rivers, the advantages of waterway transportation have gradually declined, and Foshan has also begun to lose its position as a regional commercial center, and some commercial trade has also begun to shift to Guangzhou with more convenient transportation. Social unrest began, many underworld organizations emerged constantly, and many martial arts schools came into being. In order to resist aggression, many urban poor and unemployed workers go to martial arts schools to learn martial arts. This process lasted until the 1920s. On the eve of the Great Revolution, the martial arts atmosphere in Foshan reached unprecedented prosperity.
An ordinary Lingnan martial arts master
Huang Feihong was born in Foshan on the ninth day of the seventh lunar month on 1856. His father, Huang Qiying, was one of the "Ten Tigers of Guangdong" in the Wulin in the late Qing Dynasty. Although he is good at martial arts, his family background is very difficult. As a result, Huang Feihong, who began to learn martial arts from his father at the age of 6, had to sell martial arts with his father in Foshan, Guangzhou, Shunde and other places from the age of 12, and at the same time sold medicine for injuries. It is said that he once defeated the martial artist Zheng Daxiong's left-handed fish stick method with a four-elephant dragon stick and won the reputation of "young hero".
The so-called Jianghu chance appeared in A.D. 13, when Huang Feihong and his son, who were selling martial arts in Douchi Lane, Foshan, rescued Lin Fucheng, a disciple of Tieqiao III. To show his gratitude, in the past two years, Lin Fucheng has taught Huang Feihong the skills of "Iron Fist" and "Flying Tuo".
/kloc-at the age of 0/6, Huang Feihong began to move to Guangzhou. At that time, copper and iron workers raised funds to set up a martial arts school for him in the seventh Fu Shuijiao in Xiguan, teaching people martial arts, and his many years of wandering career in selling martial arts ended. Two years later, Huang Feihong, who became famous, was hired as the martial arts coach of the "Three Columns" (fruit bar, vegetable bar and fish bar).
Huang Feihong's major deeds were left behind when he was young. /kloc-at the age of 0/9, Huang Feihong, who spent the night in a pawnshop in Guanshan City, Xiqiao, was robbed by thieves. He single-handedly repelled dozens of robbers, which became a local story, and was invited to be an apprentice in Shilong Township. 1876, a foreigner with a German shepherd dog the size of a calf had an argument with China people in Hongkong. 20-year-old Huang Feihong, unwilling to be humiliated by China people, went to Hong Kong to kill vicious dogs with a "monkey-shaped turn" and became famous in World War I in Xiangjiang River. Another year, a Hong Kong gangster occupied the stall of Peng Yu, a peddler in Shuikengkou, and injured Peng Yu. When Huang Feihong's road was bumpy, he stepped forward to help him, but he was surrounded by dozens of armed men and finally got away with it.
1882, Huang Feihong began to serve in the army. At that time, he was hired as a martial arts coach by Guangzhou Navy, and later as a "Jing Xun standard bearer" by Guangzhou General yamen. Three years later, the registered prefect Wu Quanmei hired him as a martial arts coach in the army, and the martial arts school opened in Huilan Bridge was closed. However, at the age of 30, his father Huang Qiying passed away, and Wu Quanmei passed away soon. Huang Feihong was discouraged and resigned as a martial arts coach in the army. He opened a "Baozhilin" in Ren 'an Street, Guangzhou, and a couplet hung in front of the door: "The sword is drawn and the grass grows into a forest."
Two years later, 1888, Huang Feihong cured the foot disease of Liu Yongfu, the leader of the Black Flag Army. Liu Yongfu gave him a wooden tablet with the words "proficient in medical skills" written on it, and hired him as the medical officer of the Black Flag Army, and also served as the head coach of the Master Army. 1894, Liu Yongfu led his troops to Taiwan Province province to fight against Japanese invaders, and Huang Feihong arrived in Taiwan Province with Liu Yongfu and was stationed in Tainan. 1In June, 895, Liu Yongfu failed to protect Taiwan, and Huang Feihong, who suffered a heavy blow, began to leave Taiwan and return to Guangdong. From then on, he only practiced medicine without teaching martial arts, and posted in front of "Baozhilin" that "Kung Fu is difficult to teach; Don't pass on your daughter, please learn from Mo Wen. " .
19 1 1 year, Huang Feihong, who has reached the age of 55, was invited by Liu Yongfu to be the head coach of Guangdong Youth League. The following year, Ma Rucan, a fishing gang in Guangzhou (selling canned fish), was blackmailed and beaten by gangsters, and Huang Feihong severely punished them. The event of "saving canned fish" was widely celebrated in Yangcheng. 19 19 Guangdong Jason Wu association was established. At the meeting held in Haizhu Theater, the 63-year-old performed the stunt of flying into a round pottery jar.
Huang Feihong's married life is not satisfactory. He got married at the age of 24 and had four sons, but his first three wives died successively. 19 15 years, he continued to marry Mo Guilan who was 19 years old. 19 19, when Huang Hansen, the second son who was proficient in martial arts, went to Wuzhou, Guangxi, he was assassinated by a "ghost eye beam" who was jealous of his martial arts, which dealt a great blow to Huang Feihong. Since then, he has never taught his son martial arts. 1924 10, Guangzhou National Government suppressed the riots of business groups, and the houses in Xiguan area were destroyed, and Baozhilin in Ren 'an Street was also affected and burned, all its wealth was burned, and the eldest son was unemployed. Huang Feihong became depressed.
1925 April 17, Huang Feihong died in Chengxi Convenience Hospital of Guangzhou at the age of 69. However, at that time, the descendants of this family could not even be buried. Thanks to the help of female disciple Deng Xiuqiong, she was buried at the foot of Baiyun Mountain.
Compared with what I saw in the movies, Huang Feihong's life in real life is not smooth. Apart from his second son, his family members are engaged in meat business, medical practice and groceries. After his death, his wife, Mo Guilan, who got the original martial arts, first taught boxing in the "Yiyitang" in Guangzhou, and then went to Hong Kong after the victory of the Anti-Japanese War. She hung a sign on Gaoshi Island that "Huang Feihong married Mo Guilan, and her medical skills were brilliant", and soon organized the "Huang Feihong Wushu Society", 1982 died.
Inevitable historical destiny
Huang Feihong's life is the history of China's transition from feudal autocracy to democracy and harmony. The content is profound, but it is the most surging. At that time, western countries had knocked on the door of China, which had been closed for thousands of years, with a barge full of opium, and a large number of silver snowflakes flowed out from those ports that were forced to open. In order to fight against the British fleet in Humen, Lin Zexu even went to Foshan to cast guns.
However, the mountains and rivers that have not awakened for a long time are still trampled everywhere. Among them, I experienced a period of history after treaty of shimonoseki on April 7, 1995/kloc-0: I followed Liu Yongfu to Taiwan Province Province and worked under Tang, the governor of Fujian, which Liu Yongfu relied heavily on. 1June, 895, Tang Zili became a "democratic country" and was appointed as a general in front of the temple. How many absurd dreams were there in those days? Soon, Li Hongzhang led the Huai army to encircle and encircle, and Tang was defeated and fled back to Guangzhou with Tang. Since then, Huang Feihong has been living in seclusion, and there are fewer and fewer historical records about him.
In the cold weapon era of courage, Huang Feihong, who has superb martial arts, still has to make a living. He wandered in the Pearl River Delta in his early years and moved to Guangzhou after 16 years old. It was a time when China's national strength was poor and weak, and it was difficult for the people to make a living. So outward migration has become a spontaneous behavior. When Huang Feihong moved around Foshan, Guangzhou, Shunde and Hong Kong, more people from the Pearl River Delta began to go abroad, and Hong Kong became the first choice. Some people use Hong Kong as a springboard to go to Southeast Asia, Europe and America and other countries and regions. Even after Huang's death, his wife had to leave her hometown and come to Hong Kong.
It is said that "a foreign country is still in our country for a long time, and a foreign country is our hometown for a long time", but how can modern people who have never tasted it understand the feelings of people who left their homes more than 100 years ago? In a foreign country, facing a completely strange world, different people, different languages and customs, and different people's feelings, people with bare hands are like entering the endless wilderness alone, just like climbing with bare hands, so fear is inevitable. Therefore, clenching fists becomes a subconscious, and people who often go out to practice martial arts, fitness function becomes the second, and self-defense is the first. Wherever Guangfu people go, there must be people who practice martial arts. Some people even set up martial arts schools in the local area to recruit disciples to teach martial arts as their main means of livelihood. Among them, Foshan, as the center of southern Wushu, has become one of the most important places of Wushu outflow in China.
Take Huang Feihong as an example. Disciples who teach in Baozhilin are Ling, Mai Yucan, Chen Jinquan, Shuai Laoyu, Shuai Laoyan, Lu Zhenggang,. Among them, Liang Kuan's martial arts was the best, but he was jealous of talents, and he was the first disciple to die. The greatest achievement is Lin Shirong, who has been practicing martial arts with Huang Feihong for 20 years. This disciple, who made a living by selling pork in his early years, was called "Pig Meat Glory". He won the first prize in the first Guangdong Wushu Competition held in Guangzhou East School in the late Qing Dynasty, and later won the silver medal awarded by Sun Yat-sen for his enthusiastic public welfare. He once opened three martial arts schools in Guangzhou and taught more than 10,000 people in his life. His nephew, Lin Zucheng, has been teaching for more than 50 years, and his disciples are all over the United States, Canada, Europe and Southeast Asia.
In addition to "defending Taiwan Province against Japan" in Province, according to the current records, Huang Feihong has been to Hong Kong again, leaving behind mostly his deeds of avenging and eliminating violence for the people of China. It is his wife Mo Guilan and his disciple Lin Shirong who have brought him a more real influence in the Chinese world. Especially the latter, because of his participation, fled to Hong Kong alone in his later years. With the help of disciples Zhu Yuzhai, Zhang Shibiao and Li Shihui, he began to break the school boundaries, wrote books and made statements, and published boxing scores such as "Kung Fu Boxing", "Tie Quan" and "Tiger Crane Fist" around 1930, which initiated the compilation of modern martial arts routines in Guangdong and made Huang Feihong spread.
Under the background that immigration has become an inevitable era, Huang Feihong has no choice but to run around in difficulties all his life. As a professional martial artist, in the era of war and crisis, he can hide in the corner of the street for more than 20 years and silently feel the pulse, or he has nothing to do to teach. Although he didn't see Linzhi Grass and died of depression, Huang Feihong's fate was good.
A changed Huang Feihong.
During the 70 years from 1930s to the end of the 20th century, Huang Feihong has become the only inexhaustible theme source of all literary expressions in Hong Kong. Take the most influential movies as an example. Among them, Huang Feihong's actors are Dexing, Jackie Chan, Jet Li and Chiu Man-Cheuk. Kwan Tak-hing alone starred in 77 Huang Feihong films. Since 1949, 100 films about Huang Feihong have been made, setting a Guinness World Record.
There was no exile in the Pearl River Delta in the early years, and there was no death of his wife and children in the real world. In literary and artistic creation with Huang Feihong as the theme, he often appears as a hero or a chivalrous man who is detached from things. As far as cultural brands are concerned, the shaping of Huang Feihong by Hong Kong-made films is undoubtedly successful. No matter in early novels and movies, the kind father Yan Shi who helped the needy, or the young chivalrous man who showed national integrity and self-improvement in the face of cultural conflicts, class struggles and national struggles after adding more elements of the times in Tsui Hark's movies, have been accumulated by decades of history and turned into the embodiment of Chinese traditional virtues. Moreover, through the special economic, geographical and cultural platform of Hong Kong, Huang Feihong's image has spread all over the world, and it has become a famous brand when Hong Kong Kung Fu films are popular all over the world.
Among the early writers who wrote about Huang Feihong, there were disciples like Zhu Yuzhai and Ma Yun, as well as Buddhist disciples. Their original intention is more or less to learn from others and praise the rural sages. The success of Huang Feihong brand, to a certain extent, has also promoted the development of overseas martial arts industry, especially for Foshan martial arts schools all over the world, they can proudly say to their disciples, look, how powerful we are in Foshan. In the real world Wulin, Wing Chun and Cai Lifo have the highest winning percentage in previous martial arts competitions. Therefore, in today's martial arts gymnasiums all over the world, most of them are based on Cai Lifo, Wing Chun and Hong Quan handed down from Foshan. It is said that Ayou, a Ghanaian foreign aid from Shenyang Jinde Football Club, even heard of "Huang Feihong" before coming to China, which is enough to show the effectiveness of this brand.
However, the sudden disappearance of Huang Feihong's films in the early 1990s and the convergence of Huang Feihong's television to entertainment themes are quite interesting.
The mainland market has always been the main battlefield for Hong Kong films. The decades when Huang Feihong's films, television and culture gathered in Hong Kong and formed their brands were precisely the decades when the Chinese nation was governed by chaos and became rich from poverty. More mainland audiences came into contact with Huang Feihong after the reform and opening up. Among them, the mentality of Chinese people has gradually changed from weak to strong. This change is slow, but it is so clearly visible when you turn over a century's calendar. Therefore, for many viewers, Huang Feihong movies in the early years may be able to tell the story of "the sick man of East Asia", but today, the theme has to be considered, whether to add some pleasing entertainment factors such as thirteen aunts. Coupled with the increase of information access channels and the diversification of entertainment means, even the appetite of mainland audiences has been hung up. It's ok to watch a single type of movie, but the second one may be boring.
On the other hand, the relationship between American economy and Hollywood movies proves that a strong economy can create a cultural highland. Before the early 1990s, Hong Kong was an international financial and trade center. Such a strong position has enabled Hong Kong's culture, especially martial arts and other film and television works, to be continuously exported to Southeast Asia, Europe, America, Africa and the mainland after the reform and opening up. Therefore, Huang Feihong's "Foshan Shadowless Feet" can be seen all over the world. However, after the financial turmoil, Hong Kong's economy stagnated, and the advantages of Hong Kong-style cultural highland were completely lost. With the development of the film industry in Chinese mainland and South Korea, Hong Kong's film industry was also in a slump. Obviously, no one dares to speculate on such an old topic as Huang Feihong. On the other hand, if something can be dug up, experienced Hong Kong filmmakers will be the first to smell it.
From some TV plays in the early 1990s, we can see such clues. For example, in I am Huang Feihong, I Love My Teeth and I Love Liang Kuan, Huang Feihong appeared as a supporting role, and his role images became more and more diverse. It seems that it is also necessary to adjust the cultural brands established in a specific period at an appropriate time.
How is Huang Feihong famous in the world?
Among the records about Huang Feihong that can be seen today, the Biography of Huang Feihong written by Lin Shirong disciple Zhu Yuzhai is the earliest. Zhu Yuzhai is a native of Nanhai, alias Zhaigong, who lives in Yangcheng. When he studied martial arts with Lin Shirong, he was highly appreciated by his teachers. Lin Shirong once commented on his disciples: "If you make (Yu Zhai) learn military skills and learn from thousands of enemies, its achievements will only be heard by a boxer." Zhu Yuzhai studied hard all his life and wrote a lot. After Huang Feihong's death, he began to sort out relevant materials, starting from 1933, and serialized this biography of Huang Feihong in the industrial and commercial evening news. This book introduces Huang Feihong's legendary life in detail, highlighting Huang Feihong's superb martial arts and heroism. At the same time, it also introduces the deeds of Huang Feihong's father Huang Qiying, master Lin Fucheng, disciple Liang Kuan, Lin Shirong and many other martial arts experts. The Biography of Huang Feihong initiated the artistic creation with Huang Feihong as the theme.
Since then, novellas such as Loyal Villager, I am a Mountain Man and Zen Mountain Man have appeared. Who published the novel about Huang Feihong reached its peak in the 1940s and had the greatest influence. So far, at least 1 1 novelists have published ***20 novels about Huang Feihong. These novelists come from Foshan and Huang Feihong. For example, Ma Yun, Zhu Yuzhai's apprentice, is a senior writer in Hong Kong. Other novels are widely published in Chinese newspapers in Singapore, Malaysia and other places, and there are also novel singles published in these three places. He also published two novels about Huang Feihong on 1970, namely "Fighting Bullies among Flowers" and "The Battle of Dingjiazhuang".
Huang Feihong's novels have a long history. 1988 Liu Ren, a native writer in Foshan, also published the novel Young Huang Feihong, which reflects Huang Feihong's experience in Foshan as a teenager. The themes of these works mostly reflect the deeds of Huang Feihong and his disciples in eliminating violence, upholding justice, punishing evil and doing harm for the people. At the same time, these novels have spread to a wide range of regions, including Hongkong and Taiwan Province, Singapore and Malaysia, the United States, Europe and other places.
It is precisely because of the success of these novels that Huang Feihong can begin to transcend ordinary horizons and appear in more popular forms, such as movies, Cantonese opera, radio and television, and even today's animation. Huang Feihong began to become a household name in the Wulin.
In the 1930s and 1940s in Hong Kong, Cantonese opera was a smash hit, with large and small theaters all over Hong Kong and Kowloon. 1944, Tang Tisheng, an outstanding screenwriter with a high reputation in Cantonese opera, began to compile his story into a three-episode True Story of Huang Feihong and gave it to the Chaozhou Opera Troupe with his wife Zheng and the famous Cantonese opera performer Luo Pinchao as the main actors. Luo Pinchao became the first artist to play Huang Feihong in Cantonese opera.
Huang Feihong entered the film under another stage name "New Grain Wine". Kwan Tak-hing, a native of Kaiping, Guangdong Province, began to study the performing arts of Cantonese opera at the age of 65,438+03. In 65,438+0949, he starred in The Biography of Huang Feihong directed by Hu Peng in Hong Kong, which was a great success. Two years later, Kwan Tak-hing put The Biography of Huang Feihong on the stage of Cantonese Opera, and at the same time, he integrated Southern martial arts and wonderful lion dance performances into it, bringing Huang Feihong to life. Therefore, when he toured Kuala Lumpur, Phnom Penh, Cambodia and San Francisco, he was widely welcomed by local Chinese and overseas Chinese. This script was later performed by local Cantonese opera artists in Foshan and Guangzhou.
In addition, in 1980s and 1990s, some Hong Kong directors began to add some new elements to Huang Feihong films. For example, Jackie Chan's Drunk Boxing, the realistic Tiger Crane Boxing, and Tsui Hark's later Huang Feihong Series all have elements of fashion and love. Besides Jet Li, who is more popular with the audience, she also added a 13-year-old aunt with a generation gap, which is very exciting. Huang Feihong movies, until Tsui Hark's "Dragon City Warrior". In addition, Zhong Weiming, the Hong Kong broadcasting emperor, once played Huang Feihong's novels on the radio. As soon as "Huang Feihong" is mentioned, the street suddenly becomes deserted.
1970s, television began to enter thousands of households. 1976, Huang Feihong began to be put on the TV screen by tvbi. In the past 20 years, Hong Kong and Taiwan have produced eight TV series *** 173 with the theme of Huang Feihong.