A punch of kung fu culture

Dance drama, drawing inspiration from martial arts grandmaster Yip Man, has won worldwide acclaim in its efforts to promote Lingnan culture and convey a sense of justice and responsibility in society. Fang Xue reports from Hong Kong.

While conceiving the script of Wing Chun — a dance drama that became a hit in China and overseas — stage play director Zhou Liya encountered a century-old banyan tree on Chung Ying Street. This 250-meter-long restricted shopping area in Sha Tau Kok, Shenzhen, lies between the boundary of the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong's North District.

The tree has its roots deeply embedded in Shenzhen soil, with its lush branches jutting out into the special administrative region. It reminded Zhou of her work's protagonist, martial arts master Yip Man (1893-1972), also known as Ip Man, who hailed from Foshan city before settling in Hong Kong, where he took Wing Chun — a form of kung fu characterized by close unarmed combat and rapid punches — to the world stage.

Wing Chun marks the continued inheritance and innovative development of Lingnan culture — a shared bond of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area — says Zhou.

Creative fusion

Codirected by Zhou and Han Zhen, the drama, performed by the Shenzhen Opera and Dance Theatre, debuted in Shenzhen in 2022. Since then, it had been staged in dozens of mainland cities at the end of last year before going to the United Kingdom and France. The play was performed twice in Hong Kong, and was the grand finale of the 4th Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Cultural and Art Festival in November.

Inspired by Yip's story, the production adopts dual narratives that intertwine Yip Man's journey to promote martial arts in Hong Kong with a modern film crew in Shenzhen pursuing their dreams while shooting a movie called Wing Chun.

The performance integrates the essence of Wing Chun, tai chi and Baguazhang, (eight trigram palm), and other martial arts styles, merging classical and modern dance techniques.

Through the interweaving forms of classic and contemporary artistic presentation, Zhou says the drama projects China's traditional value of "using martial arts to aid the weak and uphold kindness" that can inspire and encourage today's society.

The directors credited the influence of Hong Kong culture for crafting Yip's work and Wing Chun. Belonging to the 1980s generation, both grew up as Chinese cinema underwent reforms and thrived, with the emergence of scores of coproductions between the mainland and Hong Kong.

In the 1980s and 1990s, filmmakers from both sides jointly produced a slew of popular martial arts titles adapted from the stories of real or fictional kung fu masters, such as Wong Fei-hung and Fong Sai-yuk. Their success sparked a craze for heroism and kung fu in society, leaving a profound impression on the two directors' childhood and teenage years.

They see heroes as possessing exceptional martial arts skills, while also conveying a sense of justice and social responsibility. More importantly, such movies show that every person can become a hero.

The biographic film series Ip Man, which released four titles from 2008 through 2019, has inspired the directors' enthusiasm for kung fu productions, prompting them to create the dance drama, Wing Chun.

Han says the public's preference for martial arts has returned in the past few years. She said she believes the Ip Man series has taken Wing Chun to a broader audience. The style emphasizes restraint and tranquility while focusing on techniques, internal strength and wisdom, which is visually attracting and aligns more closely with modern aesthetics.

However, both directors believe Wing Chun's cultural essence and spiritual value have yet to be fully revealed through films, and that different artistic mediums, including dance drama, can present the intangible heritage's charm in new ways.