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Wuxia Blog

Translation updates, cultural insights, and other musings about wuxia and Chinese culture.


Gan Nineteenth Sister: eight chapters translated and ready for review

Gan Nineteenth Sister: eight chapters translated and ready for review

Update

Eight chapters of Xiao Yi's Gan Nineteenth Sister have been translated and are now in review. Here's where we are in the pipeline.

Meet the wuxia authors: our complete biography collection

Meet the wuxia authors: our complete biography collection

Update

39 author biographies covering the full history of wuxia fiction — from the genre's pioneers to its contemporary masters.

The Heavenly Sword & the Dragon Sabre Chapter 5 Updated

The Heavenly Sword & the Dragon Sabre Chapter 5 Updated

Translation notes

A moonlit meeting on the Qiantang River — Zhang Cuishan's investigation leads him to an encounter that will change everything.

The Heavenly Sword & the Dragon Sabre Chapter 4 Updated

The Heavenly Sword & the Dragon Sabre Chapter 4 Updated

Translation notes

Zhang Cuishan's grief and fury — a short, sharp chapter that sets a tragedy in motion.

The Heavenly Sword & the Dragon Sabre Chapter 3 Updated

The Heavenly Sword & the Dragon Sabre Chapter 3 Updated

Translation notes

A young man leaves the monastery and begins a journey that will define a new martial tradition.

The Heavenly Sword & the Dragon Sabre Chapter 2 Updated

The Heavenly Sword & the Dragon Sabre Chapter 2 Updated

Translation notes

He Zudao's audacious challenge at Shaolin and a young monk's awakening — Chapter 2 brings fire to the monastery gates.

The Heavenly Sword & the Dragon Sabre Chapter 1 Updated

The Heavenly Sword & the Dragon Sabre Chapter 1 Updated

Translation notes

A young monk, a grieving girl, and a secret manual — the opening chapter of Jin Yong's epic sets the stage for everything that follows.

Understanding Qing blue-green-black in Chinese literature

Understanding Qing blue-green-black in Chinese literature

Translation notes

The character 青 (qīng) historically encompassed blue, green, and black in Chinese, creating translation challenges in wuxia literature where colour descriptions carry cultural and symbolic significance beyond simple chromatic designation.

Twin Blades of the Storm Dragon Chapter 1 Updated

Twin Blades of the Storm Dragon Chapter 1 Updated

Translation notes

Two paired swords with brotherly names — one auspicious, one ill-omened — set a tragedy in motion.

Laughing in the Wind Chapter 1 completed

Laughing in the Wind Chapter 1 completed

Translation notes

Parts 4 through 8 of Chapter 1 are now available, continuing the story of the Lin family.