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Qingcheng School

Qingcheng School

Qingcheng School (simplified: 青城派, traditional: 青城派, pinyin: Qīngchéng Pài) was a martial arts faction based on Mount Qingcheng1 in Sichuan.2 The school was known for their unique martial arts system combining sword techniques with specialized weapons and was considered one of the major orthodox factions in the jianghu.3

History

Foundation

The Qingcheng School was founded by Zhang Daoling (张道陵 – Zhāng Dàolíng), the first Celestial Master, during the Eastern Han dynasty. According to legend, when Zhang Daoling entered Mount Qingcheng to practice Taoism, he left behind extraordinary martial arts including the “Male and Female Dragon Tiger Sword” and “Demon-subduing Skill,” indicating that Qingcheng martial arts had an extremely long lineage.

The current Qingcheng School could trace its lineage back over three hundred years through successive generations of masters. Over many years of refinement, the school gradually focused on studying sword techniques, with fist techniques and other methods becoming secondary, leading some to refer to the school directly as the “Qingcheng Sword School.”

Organisation

Leadership structure

The school was led by Sima Wei (司马卫 – Sīmǎ Wèi), who served as the current leader. The organization included several senior disciples and masters who maintained the school’s traditions and trained new disciples.

Notable members

Leadership:

  • Sima Wei (司马卫 – Sīmǎ Wèi) - Current leader of the Qingcheng School
  • Sima Lin (司马林 – Sīmǎ Lín) - Sima Wei’s son and disciple

Senior disciples:

  • Zhu Baokun (诸保昆 – Zhū Bǎokūn) - A disciple who was actually a spy from the Penglai School
  • Sima Lin’s Jiang Shishu (司马林的姜师叔 – Sīmǎ Lín de Jiāng Shīshū) - Sima Lin’s Jiang uncle
  • Sima Lin’s Meng Shishu (司马林的孟师叔 – Sīmǎ Lín de Méng Shīshū) - Sima Lin’s Meng uncle

Martial arts

Nine Strikes of Qing

Nine Strikes of Qing (青字九打 – Qīngzì Jiǔ Dǎ) was one of the school’s signature techniques. This technique involved using the school’s unique weapon, the “Thunder God’s Hammer” (雷公轰 – Léigōng Hōng), combined with various hidden weapons. Due to the passage of time, some of the techniques had been lost, but remaining moves included the “Qingfeng Needle” (青蜂钉 – Qīngfēng Dīng).

Eighteen Counterstrikes of Cheng

Eighteen Counterstrikes of Cheng (城字十八破 – Chéngzì Shíbā Pò) was another core technique of the school, complementing the Nine Strikes of Qing to form a comprehensive martial arts system.

Qingfeng Needle

Qingfeng Needle (青蜂钉 – Qīngfēng Dīng) was the school’s signature hidden weapon, used as part of their unique martial arts system.

Sword techniques

The school’s sword techniques emphasized speed and accuracy, focusing on attacking to stop attacks and intercepting opponents’ moves. At advanced levels, practitioners sought to intimidate opponents with overwhelming sword momentum, with techniques returning to simplicity and minimal variation.

The Qingcheng sword techniques were considered unmatched in Sichuan province, earning the school the reputation of being “Peerless in Ba-Shu” (巴蜀无双 – Bāshǔ Wúshuāng).

Relationships

Conflict with Penglai School

The Qingcheng School had a bitter conflict with the Penglai School that involved espionage and betrayal. Zhu Baokun, who was actually a spy from the Penglai School, infiltrated the Qingcheng School to gather intelligence and potentially sabotage their operations.

This conflict demonstrated the complex political relationships that existed between different martial arts schools and how espionage could be used as a weapon in the jianghu.

Locations

Mount Qingcheng

Mount Qingcheng (青城山 – Qīngchéng Shān) was the school’s primary base, located in Sichuan Province. The mountain was one of the Four Sacred Mountains of Taoism and provided the school with both natural protection and spiritual significance.

Sichuan region

The school operated throughout the Sichuan region, maintaining influence and recruiting disciples from the local area. Their reputation as the premier sword school in the region gave them significant status among local martial artists.

Behind the scenes

The Qingcheng School represents one of Jin Yong’s explorations of how martial arts schools could develop specialized techniques and maintain their traditions over generations. Through their story, the author examined how schools could focus on particular aspects of martial arts while maintaining their orthodox status.

The school’s unique weapon system combining the Thunder God’s Hammer with hidden weapons demonstrates how martial arts schools could develop distinctive fighting styles that set them apart from other factions. Their reputation as the premier sword school in Sichuan shows how regional specialization could create both prestige and isolation.

The conflict with the Penglai School through espionage illustrates the complex political dynamics that could exist between martial arts schools, where traditional rivalries could be exacerbated by infiltration and betrayal.

Historical inspiration

The Qingcheng School draws on the real historical Mount Qingcheng, one of the Four Sacred Mountains of Taoism in China. The mountain has been a center of Taoist practice since ancient times, and Jin Yong’s fictional school builds on this rich historical and religious background.

The school’s connection to Zhang Daoling, the first Celestial Master of Taoism, adds both historical authenticity and mystical elements to their background. This foundation helps explain their orthodox status and their focus on sword techniques, which could be seen as reflecting the precision and discipline of Taoist practice.

See also

Footnotes

  1. 青城山 – Qīngchéng Shān. Mountain in Sichuan Province, one of the Four Sacred Mountains of Taoism. See Wikipedia. ↩

  2. 四川 – Sìchuān. Province in southwestern China, known for its mountainous terrain and cultural heritage. See Wikipedia. ↩

  3. 江湖 – jiānghú. The world of martial arts. A sub-society involving all who are related to the martial arts scene. ↩