Mount Hua Sect

Mount Hua Sect
Traditional Chinese 華山派
Simplified Chinese 华山派

The Mount Hua Sect, also known as the Huashan Sect, is a fictional martial arts sect mentioned in several works of wuxia fiction. It is commonly featured as one of the leading orthodox sects in the wulin (martial artists' community). It is named after the place where it is based, Mount Hua. The sect appears in three of Jin Yong's novels.

There is a real-life Mount Hua Sect but it has nothing to do with martial arts. It is a religious sect and is one of the branches of the Taoist Quanzhen School. It was founded in the Song dynasty by Hao Datong, one of the "Seven Immortals of Quanzhen", who also appears as a character in Jin Yong's Condor Trilogy.[1] However, in wuxia fiction, these two sects do not appear to have any connection at all.

History

The origin of the sect is unknown. In The Smiling, Proud Wanderer the sect's leader Yue Buqun is the 13th generation leader.[2] The Mount Hua Sect is part of the Five Mountain Sword Sects Alliance and Yue Buqun becomes the alliance's chief after defeating his predecessor, Zuo Lengshan of the Mount Song Sect.[2] Yue Buqun and his wife Ning Zhongze are among the top ten martial arts experts from orthodox sects. The novel's protagonist Linghu Chong is Yue Buqun's eldest student. In the novel, the Mount Hua Sect is inferior to only three sects, namely Shaolin, Wudang and the Sun Moon Holy Cult.[2]

In Sword Stained with Royal Blood, set near the end of the Ming dynasty, the protagonist Yuan Chengzhi is a member of the Mount Hua Sect. His teacher Mu Renqing is the sect's leader and is reputed to be the best living swordsman in the jianghu during that time. The Mount Hua Sect is one of the Four Great Sword Sects (四大劍派) alongside Emei, Kunlun and Diancang.[3]

In The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber, set in the Yuan dynasty, the Mount Hua Sect is briefly mentioned to be one of the six leading orthodox sects in the wulin (martial artists' community).[4] Its leader is the morally bankrupt Xianyu Tong.[4]

Skills and martial arts

In The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, the martial arts of the Mount Hua Sect mainly comprise swordplay techniques and inner energy cultivation skills. The sect is split into the Sword and Qi factions, which focus on swordplay techniques and inner energy cultivation respectively.[2] The division is caused by an internal conflict arising from a dispute over the Sunflower Manual by the founders of the factions.[2] The Qi faction seized control of leadership of the sect and forced the Sword faction into exile. Since then, the Qi faction, headed by Yue Buqun, has been teaching Mount Hua disciples inner energy skills and other forms of martial arts while placing little focus on swordplay, for which the Mount Hua Sect is better known in the wulin (martial artists' community) for.[2]

Linghu Chong becomes famous after he learns the Nine Swords of Dugu from the Sword faction elder Feng Qingyang.[2] Linghu's generation sees the revival of the Sword faction. In Sword Stained with Royal Blood, Mu Renqing is highly revered in the wulin for his outstanding swordplay techniques, as his nickname "Divine Sword Immortal Ape" (神劍仙猿) suggests.[3] Yuan Chengzhi inherits Mu Renqing's swordplay skills, while Mu's other two students, Huang Zhen and Gui Xinshu, specialise in unarmed combat martial arts.[3]

List of skills and martial arts

Note: Although the skills listed here are entirely fictional, some may be based on actual martial arts.

  • Unarmed combat styles:
    • Tiger Subduing Palm (伏虎掌)
    • Hunyuan Palm (混元掌)
    • Rock Splitting Fist (劈石拳)
    • Jade Smashing Fist (破玉拳)
    • Iron Finger (鐵指訣)
    • Leopard's Tail Kicks (豹尾腿)

  • Armed combat styles:
    • Mount Hua Swordplay (華山劍法)
    • Nineteen Styles of Jade Maiden Sword (玉女劍十九式)
    • Wild Wind Swift Sword (狂風快劍)
    • Reverse Dual Saber Style (反兩儀刀法)
    • Gentleman Swordplay (君子劍法)
    • Maiden Swordplay (淑女劍法)
    • Yangwu Sword (養吾劍)
    • Xiyi Sword (希夷劍)
    • Life Taking Linked Three Immortals Sword (奪命連環三仙劍)
    • Eagle and Serpent's Battle for Survival (鷹蛇生死搏)
    • Mount Hua Three Deities Peak (華嶽三神峰)
    • Nine Swords of Dugu (獨孤九劍)

  • Qinggong styles:
    • Shiduanjin (十段錦)
  • Inner energy skills:
    • Violet Mist Divine Skill (紫霞神功)
    • Hunyuan Skill (混元功)
    • Baoyuan Jin (抱元勁)
    • Huashan Steel Armor Invite Method (華山鋼鎧呼法)

See also

Notes

  1. Cha, Louis. The Legend of the Condor Heroes (射鵰英雄傳). Ming Pao, 1957.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Cha, Louis. The Smiling, Proud Wanderer (笑傲江湖). Ming Pao, 1967.
  3. 1 2 3 Cha, Louis. Sword Stained with Royal Blood (碧血劍). Ming Pao, 1956.
  4. 1 2 Cha, Louis. The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber (倚天屠龍記). Ming Pao, 1961.
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