Xianxia
| Synonyms: | 仙侠, cultivation fantasy, immortal heroes |
| See also: | wuxia |
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Xianxia (lit. immortal heroes) is a subgenre of the Chinese wuxia genre that focuses on characters who use the process of cultivation, which involves practicing various mediation and martial arts techniques, to become powerful immortals.
History
The novel Sword Xia of the Shu Mountains by Huanzhu Louzhu, published from 1932-1948 is considered a precursor of modern xianxia [1].
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Genre Characteristics
Xianxia novels often take place in a setting similar to historical China, often referred to as the jianghu.[2]. The techniques they use to cultivate to immortality are typically based on qigong and other real-life practices. Supernatural creatures are a common element of xianxia settings, as are magical items. Two particularly common elements are swords that are able to fly, and magical substances that can be used to increase a person's cultivation.[3] Cultivation tends to progress in stages, with common stages including Qi Condensation, Building Foundation, Core Formation, and Nascent Soul. Breaking through from one stage to the next can be perilous and difficult.
Just like wuxia, xianxia can be combined with other genres, such as romance. Several xianxia C-Novels that have gained popularity in English-speaking fandom are danmei, or male/male romances.
Examples
Canons
- Scum Villain's Self-Saving System
- Mo Dao Zu Shi and The Untamed
- Heaven Official's Blessing
- The Husky and His White Cat Shizun
- Cradle, a "western xianxia" novel series by Will Wright
Fanworks
- The Smiling, Proud Travelers animatic by Hamelin_哈米伦的弄笛者 re-envisions Genshin Impact in the xianxia genre
- 【骖鸾人间】Descension is a Genshin Impact xianxia zine, re-imagining the characters with xianxia worldbuilding
Links & Resources
- Xianxia genre at Novelupdates
- Xianxia at TV Tropes
- wuxiaworld at reddit, which is "for wuxia/xianxia stuff"
- General Glossary of Terms at wuxiaworld.com
- Xianxia at Wikipedia