History Lesson -

Born in Canton in 1847, Wong was the son of another famous martial artist, Wong Kei Ying - one of the Ten Tigers of Canton. For some reason, elder Wong refused to teach younger Wong any martial arts, and wanted him to be a herbalist doctor instead. Younger Wong went behind his father's back and sought out Luk Ah Choy, his father's master, and learnt his Hung Gar skills from there.

Wong Fei Hung grew up to be one of the most respected martial artists in Chinese history. He was also renowned as a herbalist who tended the ill, and a stout fighter who defended the weak. He was particularly well known for his role as teacher of the local militia, and his founding of Po Chi Lam, an academy that went unsurpassed in martial arts competitions.

Wong's relationship with his 13th aunt is considered to be wholly fictional, and there is no record of him fathering any children, despite being married three times. He died in 1924, aged 77, but his legacy lives on through his students. He had four famous students: Lam Sai Wing, Leung Foon, Clubfoot Seven, and Ling Wan Guy.

One of Hong Kong's most respected directors and actors Lau Kar Leung, is the great-grand student of Wong's.

Film Facts -

Wong Fei Hung is portrayed as the ideal Han fighter. He is a man of incomparable fighting skills, great pride and honour. His two secret fighting weapons are his Drunken Style fighting and his No-Shadow Kick. He is a champion of the Lion Dancing competitions, and is in love with his 13th aunt. Please note that in the films, his aunt is referred to as Aunt Yee. This is incorrect as the word "Yee" actually means "aunt" in Chinese. Her name is Siu Kwan, but because she is a fictional character, it doesn't really matter.

Jet Li became famous in Hong Kong for his outstanding performance as Wong Fei Hung in Once Upon a Time in China, released in 1991. He later appeared in the 2nd, 3rd, and 6th sequels. He also took on the role in the comedy Last Hero in China.

Jackie Chan played Wong in Drunken Master 1 and 2.

Vincent Chiu Man Cheuk played Wong in the 4th and 5th sequels to OUATIC, and also in the television series.

The man most people associate with Wong was Kwan Tak Hing. Kwan played Wong in 99 black and white TV serials, and later in films such as The Skyhawk, Magnificent Butcher and Dreadnaught.

Another one of Guangdong's heroes. Fong was trained by his mother at a very early age, and turned him into an impressive fighter. So impressive in fact, that he was challenged to a death match aged 14. He won of course.

He later joined the Red Flower Society, and under the leadership of Chan Kar Lok, participated in missions to overthrow the Manchu government.

Not much is known about what he did, or of his personal life, but his eagerness to fight, quick temper, and steadfast loyalty made him famous in Chinese history.

Legend has it that his own master betrayed him, and Fong was killed fighting his master. He died in his early twenties.

Film Facts -

Fong is regarded as a formidable street fighter, given to street brawls, and his arrogant self belief in his skills is the cause of most of the fights.

Fong learnt his skills (and his temper) from his mother, and this duo of mother and son, is comically portrayed by Jet Li and Josephine Siao in Fong Sai Yuk 1 and 2.

Ringo Lam's Burning Paradise was a much darker story involving Fong, as we witness his attempts to break out of the Red Lotus temple that pretty much resembles a hell on earth. It starred a talented Willie Chi as Fong, but this bleak story had few comedy moments.

Fong had also been portrayed by numerous actors over the years, including Alexander Fu Sheng, Jimmy Wang, Leslie Cheung and Nick Cheung.

The Shaolin Temple is the home of most of the Kung Fu styles, and probably all of them originate from there in one way or another. However, the slow and complicated techniques of the Temple were less than perfect for the training of a revolutionary army.

So five great kung fu masters put their heads together and formed the basics of a new style that would later become the Wing Chun style.

The Manchu government learnt of the conspiracy, so they sent soldiers to attack the temple. The five masters fled, but was hunt down one by one.

One of them, a nun named Ng Mui, escaped to the White Crane temple on Tai Leung mountain, where she met and trained a woman called Yim Wing Chun. The style is named after her.

There are also reports that describe the style as Wing Chun, and that the woman was named after the style instead.

Bruce Lee made Wing Chun famous because he had learnt it when he was young, and his own self-created Jeet Kune Do was based on the teachings of Wing Chun.

Film Facts -

Strangely, there aren't that many films about Wing Chun. The most famous one is played by Michelle Yeoh in the film Wing Chun. She is a daughter of a tofu seller, and has been taught kung fu by a mountain recluse.

Wing is given to wearing men's clothing and is a bit of a tomboy. She eventually discovers the true secret of the technique after revealing more of her feminine side.

There had been a few television drama series about Wing Chun, but one that sticks to mind is Kung Fu Master, who starred Donnie Yen as Hung Hei Kwoon. Wing Chun was a rebel girl before meeting Ng Mui, who taught her the style. Wing later married Hung, and they gave birth to Hung Man Ting. Completely incorrect of course.

Hung is the son of a businessman in Southern China. Already adept in martial arts, he, like Fong Sai Yuk, is also a great brawler, and is often in trouble with the authorities.

When his parents are murdered by a Manchu official, Hung escapes to the Shaolin Temple where he becomes an "outside student". Meaning that he trains under a monk, but he doesn't become one. Hung is just one student among others, and he becomes friends with the likes of Fong Sai Yuk, Luk Ah Choy, and Tung Chin-gan.

They all pass the final test to be able to leave the temple, and like all good Han people, they join in the rebellion with the Red Flower Society to fight the Manchus.

Hung begets a son, Hung Man Ting, who later carries on his father's work to overthrow the government, but Fong and Tung dies early, and Luk goes on to teach others. His most famous students are of course, Wong Kei Ying and his son, Wong Fei Hung.

Film Facts -

Hung has been portrayed by a number of actors over the years, but the most famous is obviously Jet Li in New Legend of Shaolin.

Donnie Yen also played the character in a 40 episode television series, called The Kung Fu Master. In the series, you are led to believe that Hung was actually the inventor of the Hung Gar style, but this is incorrect.

The style hails from the Southern Shaolin Temple in the Fukien Province, and is likely where the real Hung learnt it in the first place, along with his fellow peers.