Female Writers Transform Wuxia Genre Through Digital Publishing and Global Streaming
A fresh wave of female writers is transforming the realm of Chinese historical fantasy literature, pushing back against conventional wuxia narratives. The 2019 series 'The Untamed,' based on Moxiang Tongxiu's 2016 novel 'Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation,' garnered an impressive ten billion views on Tencent. Collaborations between platforms such as Netflix and Prime with Chinese services have led to the production of shows like 'Word of Honour' (2021) and 'Love Between Fairy and Devil' (2022). Western publishers are now embracing modern Chinese literature, including Moxiang Tongxiu's works. Qing Ling Yue's 'Who Rules the World' was turned into a Netflix series in 2022. Newer titles like 'Hidden Shadow' (2025) address issues like domestic violence, while adaptations such as 'The Mysterious Lotus Casebook' (2023) and 'Legend of Fei' (2020) highlight the genre's progression.
Key facts
- The Untamed, based on Moxiang Tongxiu's 2016 novel, garnered ten billion views on Tencent by 2021.
- Netflix and Prime collaborate with Chinese platforms to stream series like Word of Honour (2021).
- Simon & Schuster and Seven Seas have acquired contemporary Chinese fiction, including works by Moxiang Tongxiu.
- Qing Ling Yue's Who Rules the World was adapted for Netflix in 2022, exploring power in wuxia.
- Wuxia originated in early twentieth-century literature with authors such as Jin Yong and Gu Long.
- Hidden Shadow (2025) is based on Tang Xiu's 2013 novel and features a female assassin with a 'second soul.'
- China's internet publishing industry has enabled female writers like Qing Ling Yue, an accountant from Hunan.
- Pioneering female novelists from the late 1990s, including Chu Xidao, initiated the Mainland New Wuxia Movement.
Entities
Artists
- Moxiang Tongxiu
- Qing Ling Yue
- Jin Yong
- Gu Long
- Tang Xiu
- Teng Ping
- Priest
- Shisi Lang
- Chu Xidao
- Cang Yue
- Jiang Shengnan
Institutions
- Tencent
- Netflix
- Prime
- IQiyi
- Youku
- Simon & Schuster
- Seven Seas
- ArtReview Asia
Locations
- Hunan
- China