In order to present you with more choices and opinions on Chinese dramas, here is what you need to know. First of all, it must be remembered that Chinese screenwriters are very good at presenting events in any style of historical drama, especially those with fantastic elements. Indeed, the magical side makes the stories more attractive. There are, however, several categories that define the kind of drama you are going to watch, we explain all this. The stories were first written by authors of novels, so these categories are part of their creation.Wuxia tales became popular during the Song period (960–1279) and have endured ever since.Inspired by this one, comes Xianxia which is a fantasy genre released in early 2000 while Xuanhuan is much more recent. These categories are very often adapted into drama and you may know some, wehelp you identify them.
History (no fantasy)
There are two styles of drama in this category. There are classic historical dramas set in ancient times but also a little more recent. There are political differences and struggles for power, inspired by real events. They can be accompanied by romance or even comedy. The only difference between the two genres would be the period in which we find ourselves and the costume style of the characters. 
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WUXIA: Chinese medieval adventure (little fantasy)
Wuxiá 武侠 which translates to "martial arts" gives full meaning to the kind of drama you will have to deal with. To properly introduce you to this part, you need to know what martial arts represent. Martial arts have a variety of fighting styles and techniques. Also called Kung Fu or Wushu, martial arts focus on external and internal practices. External Kung Fu includes physical strength and agility while internal Kung Fu practices the cultivation of mind and body, also known as a person's internal energy. Wuxia-type dramas are often found in a few sects and each of them has its own set of fighting techniques. Here are some titles you might be interested in: Heroes 2020 – Wuxia
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They complement each other with the historical style which includes political fights, revenge, intrigues. We are also transported on different adventures and journeys. We follow the progression of the characters in their learning and self-development.
XIANXIA: mythological and romantic fantasy
Xiānxiá (仙侠) which means "Immortal Heroes", is better known as "Chinese Fantasy". It is a style of drama that is essentially infused with Taoism (Chinese mythology), a philosophical and religious doctrine. Taoism is one of the most important elements of Xianxia 's work because it is the root of Yin and Yang. It can be said that it is the religion of "deep China", it focuses mainly on the individual, his consciousness and his spiritual, even speculative life. To sum up, it is the search for harmony between man, nature and the universe that will assemble history. In this category of drama, there are three types of kingdoms that form the basis of the story.
- The realm of mortals: where human beings live or more commonly called by "mortals". Born without special power or characteristics, they have the opportunity to become immortal by practicing Taoism.
- The realm of the immortals: some are born immortal and others become immortal by cultivating themselves. They live mainly in the celestial realm (also called the immortal kingdom), which is ruled by the Celestial Emperor. All immortals have a rank (status) even before their birth that can also evolve over time. There are magical creatures such as the Phoenix or the Dragon, in their original form. But they most often appear in human form. Some characters are part of Chinese mythology and therefore have a meaning:
- (司命) Si Ming – The Chinese deity who is in charge of destiny. (Ming translates to life/destiny.)
- (帝君) Di Jun – Supreme Emperor or the most powerful deity of the immortal realm and maybe even the 3 realms. (Di and Jun are two separate titles for leaders, so to have both words in his name, so he's very prestigious.)
- (天帝) Celestial Emperor/Tian Di – He is the ruler of the Celestial Kingdom, the position is usually passed down by the same family.
- The Demon Realm: Demons and other evil beings live there, although their power is dark they are not all evil demons. Sometimes there are several tribes led by chiefs and the Demon Emperor is above them. As with immortals, some are born demons and others become demons, they can cultivate themselves to take human form.
We have previously introduced you to some Xianxia-type dramas, the best love stories on our list, you can find it here. Here are some other dramas you might be interested in: Love and Destiny – Xianxia
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XUANHUAN: new epic genre and mysterious fantasy
Xuánhuàn (玄幻) which means "mysterious fantasy", may seem similar to the previous categories. There are certainly similarities, but this style remains different. This category mixes Chinese folklore and mythology with Western elements and settings.The genus Xuanhuan originated from the genus Xianxia and allowed its creation.What differentiates them is the practice of Taoism and immortality that exists only in Xianxia. In the genus Xuanhuan, there are several aspects:
- The 5 elements (metal, wood, water, fire and earth)
- Chinese-style gods
- Powerful animals such as tigers or foxes can also take human form.
As said above, lack of immortality is the determining reason for the Xuanhuan category.But this does not mean that there is no god or goddess. Unlike the Xianxia genre, here the characters are ranked by level from 1 to 10 or even higher. Strength and rank are therefore very important, both for the story and for the characters.Culture is also paramount, they focus on increasing their strength to become the strongest. Xuanhuan martial artists have the same principles as those of the Wuxia genre.They also practice Kung Fu, magic and incantations are used only for Xuanhuan. Here are some examples: Douluo Continent – Xuanhuan
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To conclude:
- Of the latter three genera (Wuxia, Xianxia, and Xuanhuan), Xuanhuan is the most recent.
- Wuxia : martial arts, a bit of politics and revenge.
- Xianxia : Chinese fantasy, three kingdoms existing (mortals, immortals and demons)
- Xuanhuan is a category obtained from a mixture of Wuxia and Xianxia elements and Western influences.
- Most of Xuanhuan 's characters do martial arts but also practice other magics and spells.
- While the Xianxia drama focuses heavily on immortality and Taoism, Taoism is absent from the Xuanhuan drama.
Martial arts or Kungfu (功夫), are an important part of Chinese culture and belong to the three genres included, Wuxia, Xianxia and Xuanhuan. Culture in these three genres is also very helpful in stabilizing unstable Qi/Ch'i in the body. (Qi is a life force in living beings). For more information, you can consult the following articles:
We hope that this will make you want to discover these works that you will now know how to differentiate them. Feel free to leave us a comment if you want titles and put a heart if you liked.
