Novel Categories:
Wuxia (武俠 wǔxiá) – literally means “Martial Heroes”. Fictional stories about regular humans who can achieve supernatural fighting ability through Chinese martial arts training and internal energy cultivation. Themes of chivalry, tragedy, revenge & romance are common.
Xianxia (仙侠 xiānxiá) – literally means “Immortal Heroes”. Fictional stories featuring magic, demons, ghosts, immortals, and a great deal of Chinese folklore/mythology. Protagonists (usually) attempt to cultivate to Immortality, seeking eternal life and the pinnacle of strength. Heavily inspired by Daoism.
• Comparison: If Wuxia is “low fantasy”, then Xianxia is “high fantasy”.
Xuanhuan (玄幻 xuánhuàn) – literally means “Mysterious Fantasy”. A broad genre of fictional stories which remixes Chinese folklore/mythology with foreign elements & settings.
• Xuanhuan and Xianxia novels may sometimes seem similar on the surface. Look for the presence of Daoist elements (the Dao, Yin and Yang, Immortals, etc…) in the novel to easily distinguish the two – if they aren’t present, then it’s probably a Xuanhuan novel.
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Young Male Categories (男生):
Fantasy (玄幻奇幻 – Xuánhuàn Qíhuàn):
Eastern Fantasy (东方玄幻 – Dōngfāng Xuánhuàn):
Fictional stories centered primarily on Oriental myths, legends and fairy tales or using such elements as their basis.
Foreign Continent (异界大陆 – Yì Jiè Dàlù):
Fictional stories set in a different world, in a different land, with clear supernatural elements.
Foreign World Power Struggle (异世争霸 – Yì Shì Zhēngbà):
Fictional stories set in a different world, in a different land, with clear supernatural elements, and that are centered around a military power struggle.
Remarkable Power (异术超能 – Yì Shù Chāonéng):
Fictional stories surrounding ordinary people where the protagonist has an extraordinary supernatural ability that is used to drive the plot.
Western Fantasy (西方奇幻 – Xīfāng Qíhuàn):
Traditional Western fantasy stories.
Feudal Lord (领主贵族 – Lǐngzhǔ Guìzú):
Foreign fantasy stories where the protagonist is a lord in a feudal society and the plot is centered around the development of power and influence.
Magic Campus (魔法校园 – Mófǎ Xiàoyuán):
Fictional stories with a campus as the main backdrop.
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Epic Hero (武侠仙侠 – Wǔxiá Xiānxiá):
Classic Immortal Hero (古典仙侠 – Gǔdiǎn Xiānxiá): Traditional stories about immortal heroes.
Modern-day Sage Cultivation (现代修真 – Xiàndài Xiūzhēn): Stories about immortal heroes set in a modern-day city.
Ancient Investiture of Gods (洪荒封神 – Hónghuāng Fēngshén):
Stories about immortal heroes set in the early days of the universe where the storyline is based off of “Investiture of the Gods” or myths and fairy tales like it.
Foreign Fantasy Sage Cultivation (奇幻修真 – Qíhuàn Xiūzhēn):
Stories regarding sage cultivation that involve somewhat combined eastern and western soul refinement methods.
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Chinese Terms, Honorifics And Mythologies
RandomThis book provides a comprehensive guide to commonly used honorifics, terms, and units in the Chinese language. It serves as a valuable resource for individuals who are using Chinese terms to write their stories', offering explanations and examples...
