Feature Article

Wu Jing Being Hailed as the King in Both Academic (Dramatic) and Martial Arts Roles

Beijing TV Weekly, September 2001

It is the dream of many citizens of China to be equally well versed academically and in martial arts . Yet, this dream has been effortlessly realised by Wu Jing on the screen. In two drama serials shot this year, How Affectionate Sons and Daughters of an Empire Could Be (Also known as Emperor Qianlong, Fang De and Miao Cui-Hua) and Martial Arts King of Shaolin , Wu Jing respectively played the role of the Emperor Qianlong and that of the of Qi Xu-Guang's - a notable general of Ming Dynasty - son , who is highly skilled in Northen and Southern Martial Arts. Let's witness on paper the glory of Wu Jing's version of academic emperor and king of martial arts, staging a fierce competition between Wu Jing and Wu Jing!

A Draw in terms of Appearances and Make-ups

Tan-Zhi's part as a general in Martial Arts King of Shaolin is a breakthrough for Wu Jing as far as gallantry is concerned while his later role as a monk carries a magnificent appearance in white, allowing those who like New Shaolin Temple to witness yet again Jue Yuan's glory.

The production team in How Affectionate the Sons and Daughters of an Empire Could Be has spent a good deal of effort on Wu Jing's appearance in the show. The designers came up with over thirty designs just for the plain clothes that Emperor Qianlong wears when he goes on inspection circuit around his country. From there, Wu Jing and the make-up artists chose the designs that they were partial to and the production crew especially sent some specialists over to Jiangnan to have them tailor made for Wu Jing.

To suit Wu Jing's background in martial arts, the scriptwriters specially added in a few grand scenes of action such as the Outdoor Horse Race and Nanbei Fireworks Meet, where three cranes and huge quantity of fireworks were employed. The scene becomes more enthralling when the young and suave emperor forms rainbows with his sword amidst the fireworks display.

In Terms of Difficulty, Young Qianlong Wins

In Martial Arts King of Shaolin, Tan-Zhi is weighed down by the burden of having to avenge for his family and ridding the country of traitors. He travels to Shaolin Temple to learn martial arts. Later, he rebuilds Qi Family Army and leads them against Wei Bandits. The hardships and pains he suffers are worse than that of Jue Yuan. On the other hand, a martial arts story that is intertwined with elements of comical parts and love relations is Wu Jing's customary style and forte.

Qianlong is the most filmed emperor, with the most famous being Adam Cheng's; Countless actors have acted as Qianlong before, with the middle-aged Qianlong being played before by Da Shi-Chang, Zhang Guo-Li, Zhang Tie-Lin and the young Qianlong by Louis Koo and Zhu Yu.

This is the first time Wu Jing, who has, heretofore, always been presented as a jocular and vivacious character, took on a role of one with a serious, awe-inspiring and firm disposition. It might be too early to say whether he can succeed in dispensing the type of authoritative air of a monarch. On the other hand, during a studio screening of How Affectionate are the Sons and Daughters of an Empire Could Be organised by the production company, Huan Le Media, representatives from various broadcasting stations, pundits and invited guests all agreed that they were pleasantly surprised by Wu Jing's version of Qianlong. Wu Jing's imposing aura of an emperor struck awe in the viewers, even before his lines were delivered. Some even called Wu Jing as Emperor Charming.

As far as love affairs are concerned, Martial Arts King of Shaolin is the winner. 

Heroes are always accompanied by beauties and apart from unfathomable Shaolin martial arts, earth-shattering fight sequences, included in Martial Arts King of Shaolin is a romantic and interesting love story. Tan-Zhi's various encounters with women, be it gentle or embarrassing, are all different. When Tan-Zhi is heading for Shaolin Temple, all the while having to shun the assassins, he is rescued by an innocent lady, Xiao-Ni, in the valley. Then, there is an instance where he enters an opera house by mistake and is pestered by the overly affectionate Bai He and Hong Lian. When he is in Shaolin Temple, he befriends a Japanese lady who disguises herself as man in order to be there. After he has done his duty to his family and the country, the four ladies and the strict rules of Shaolin Monastery become a knotty problem to him when he has to make a choice between them.

In How Affectionate the Sons and Daughters of the Empire Could Be, the young Qianlong falls head over heels for Miao Cui-Hua at first sight.  Disregarding the dignity of an emperor, he chases her relentlessly, leading to conflicts with her husband, Fang De. In such productions as Tales of Qianlong, Romance of the Book and Sword, My Fair Princess and Eloquent Ji Xiao-Lan, Qianlong's relations with commoner ladies are always part of the shows, though they are not the main theme. How Affectionate the Sons and Daughters of the Empire Could Be focuses on this and forcibly sandwich Emperor Qianlong in between the legendary lady, Miao Cui-Hua and her husband, Fang De. However, the serial eventually follows historical events where Miao Cui-Hua and Fang De were a pair. As such, Emperor Qianlong is not as glorified in this area as Martial Arts King of Shaolin.

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