Overheard Ⅱ, The Grandmaster, Once Upon A Time in China, Game of Death etc. Film buffs may have watched these films but not many of them know that the protagonists and roles in these films are modeled after celebrities from Foshan.
Foshan has a large number of scenic spots for film shooting and its long history and legends have sparked many filmmakers inspiration.
Stories of Foshan celebrities are adapted into screenplays and made into films or TV series, including Wing Chun master Ip Man, superstar Bruce Lee, Kungfu master Wong Kei-Ying and Wong Fei-hung, billionaire Cheng Yu-tung, reformer Kang Youwei, genius Lun Man-chui and railroad engineer Jeme Tien Yow.
Wing Chun master Ip Man
In recent years, the "Ip Man" film series, starred by Donnie Yen, has gone viral cross China. The Wing Chun master Ip Man is indigenous resident that grew up in Foshan.
Ip Man grew up in a wealthy family in Nanhai county, Foshan and attended school at St. Stephens College in Hong Kong at the age of 17. Ip Man learned Wing Chun from Chan Wah-shun and Leung Bik. Ip, then he became a master teacher of Wing Chun. He had several students who later became martial arts masters in their own right. His most famous student was Bruce Lee.
Protagonists in the films like "The Grandmaster", "The Legend Is Born-Ip Man", "Ip Man：The Final Fight" and TV series "Ip Man", are all modeled after Ip Man.
"The Grandmaster", directed and written by Wong Kar-wai, starred by Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Zhang Ziyi, is a martial arts drama film based on the life story of the Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man. This film won best film at Asian Film Awards, best film at the Hong Kong Film Awards and best film at Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival.
In Foshan, many people go to Wing Chun marital arts studios to practice Wing Chun. Ip Man Memorial Museum is frequently visited by tourists and Wing Chun fans.
Donnie Yen(left) and Ip Mans son Ip Chun practiced Wing Chun.
Kungfu star Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee, whose birth name was Lee Jun-fan, was a Hong Kong and American actor, martial artist, filmmaker and founder of the martial art Jeet Kune Do. His ancestry was from Junan town, Shunde District in Foshan.
His Hong Kong and Hollywood-produced films elevated the traditional Hong Kong martial arts film to a new level of popularity and acclaim, sparking a surge of interest in Chinese martial arts in the West in the 1970s. His well-known films include "The Way of the Dragon", "Enter the Dragon" and "Game of Death", making him an iconic figure known throughout the world.
Bruce Lees legacy continues even though he died.
The Green Hornet is a television series that aired for the 1966–1967 TV season starring Van Williams as the Green Hornet/Britt Reid and Bruce Lee as Kato. In 1974, filmmaker edited the footage from the Green Hornet (TV series) to make a film "The Green Hornet" in tribute to Bruce Lee.
The 2000 documentary "Bruce Lee: A Warriors Journey" includes the footage of Bruce Lees incomplete film "Game of Death". "Bruce Lee My Brother", directed by Raymond Yip and starred by Aarif Lee, is a 2010 Hong Kong biographical martial arts drama film storied, produced and narrated by Bruce Lees real life younger brother Robert Lee.
"Bruce Lee My Brother" revolves around Bruce Lees life as a rebellious adolescent in Hong Kong before he sets off for the US and conquers the world at the age of 18 with only US$102 in his pocket.
TV series "The Green Hornet" was edited and made into a film "The Green Hornet".
Bruce Lee and his teacher Ip Man
Nowadays Bruce Lees ancestral home locates at Junan town, Shunde District, not far from Bruce Lee Park, one of the recommended tourist destinations in Foshan.
Statue of Bruce Lee at the gate of Bruce Lee Park
Foshans shadowless kick master Wong Fei-hung
Wong Fei-hung, born in Nanhai county, Foshan , was a Chinese martial artist, physician, and folk hero, who has become the subject of numerous martial arts films and television series. He was considered an expert in the Hung Ga style of Chinese martial arts and lion dance.
103 films and TV series featuring Wong Fei-hung have been produced by 2013. Among them, the "Once Upon a Time in China" film series, directed by Tsui Hark and starred by Jet Li, are the most widespread.
"Once Upon a Time in China III" is a 1993 Hong Kong martial arts film, starring Jet Li as Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-hung. It is the third installment in the Once Upon a Time in China film series.
Jet Li playing the role of Wong Fei-Hung in "Once Upon a Time in China III" and competing for the title "Lion Dance King".
Wong Fei-hung Memorial Hall is located at Ancestral Temple in Chancheng District, where tourists can enjoy lion dance show. Lion dance fans must not miss Wong Fei Hung Lion Dance Martial Arts Museum.
Wong Fei Hung Lion Dance Martial Arts Museum
One of the Ten Tigers of Canton, Wong Kei-Ying
Wong Kei-Ying, father of Wong Fei-hung, was a Chinese martial artist and physician who lived in Xiqiao Ridge, Nanhai County during the Qing Dynasty. He was one of "the Ten Tigers of Canton". In his younger days, Wong earned a living by performing martial arts and acrobatics in the streets. One day, he encountered Luk Ah-choi (陆阿采), a notable practitioner of the martial art Hung Ga, and became Luks student. Wong spent ten years training and mastering all the skills he learned, including Tiger and Crane Double Shaped Fist. Wong joined the Black Flag Army and became its martial arts instructor.
Wong Kei-Yings image in a film
As a famous Hung Ga master, Wong Kei-Ying has become the subject of many novels, films and TV series, including "Master of the Shadowless Kick-Wong Kei-Ying" and "Iron Monkey".
"Iron Monkey", starring Donnie Yen as Wong Kei-ying, is a fictionalized account of an episode in the childhood of the folk hero Wong Fei-hung and his father Wong Kei-ying, and their encounter with the thief "Iron Monkey".
Hong Kong typhoon Cheng Yu-tung
Uncle Tong, the head of the Landlord Club in the film "Overheard Ⅱ", is actually modeled after the late Hong Kong billionaire Cheng Yu-tung. The prototype of the Landlord Club is a big D poker game club organized by Cheng Yu-tung.
Cheng Yu-tung, born in Lun Jiao town, Shunde District, was a Hong Kong billionaire with extensive property investment, development and service businesses, hotels, infrastructure, jewelry retailing and transportation interests in Hong Kong, Macau, United States, Australia and elsewhere.
Cheng Yu-tungs story is often adapted in many renowned Hong Kong TV series such as "The Greed of Man" and "At the Threshold of An Era".
Cheng Yu-tung supported the development of education in his hometown and established Cheng Yu-tung secondary school in Shunde District.
Reformer Kang Youwei
Kang Youwei, born in Nanhai County in 1858, was a Chinese scholar, prominent political thinker and reformer who led movements to establish a constitutional monarchy. His ideas inspired a reformation movement that was supported by the Guangxu Emperor but loathed by Empress Dowager Cixi.
Many roles of films and TV series are modelled after Kang Youwei, including "Datong: The Great Society", "Tang Sitong", "The Wuxu Reform" and "Blade of Fury".
"The Wuxu Reform" is a TV series made to commemorate the 100 anniversary of the Wuxu Reform Movement.
Kangs residence is located at Danzhao town.
Mr.Jan from Foshan, Leung Jan
Leung Jan was a Wing Chun practitioner and Chinese herbal doctor in Foshan in Qing Dynasty. His name became well-known due to his wins in competitive bouts. He was called Mr.Jan from Foshan. In the Wing Chun community in Foshan, Leung Jan was dubbed "Father of Wing Chun Fist".
Leung Jan is featured in roles in films such as "The Prodigal Son", "Descendants of Wing Chun" and "Warriors Two" as well as TV series "Wing Chun".
"Warriors Two", directed by Sammo Hung Kam-Bo, is a 1978 Hong Kong martial arts film in which Bryan Leung plays the character of Leung Jan.
Revolutionary maytr Chen Tiejun
Chen Tiejun, born in Foshan, was a communist who joined the Guangzhou Uprising and got caught by KMT together with Zhou Wenyong. Chen and Zhou held a wedding at the execution ground before they were killed.
Chen Tiejun and Zhou Wenyong
The film "Wedding At the Execution Ground" is based on the love story of Chen and Zhou.
In memory of Chen, a primiray school and a park in Foshan are named after her.
Students pay tribute to Chen Tiejun
Genius Lun Man-chui
Lun Man-chui, born in Nanhai county in the Ming Dynasty, came first in the highest imperial examination and then worked in the imperial academy. Hes famous for his wisdom.
The film "The Kung Fu Scholar" is based on Lun Man-chuis legend.
"The Kung Fu Scholar", starred by Aaron Kwok, Vivian Chow and Dicky Cheung, is a film about the competition between Lun Man-chui and his classmate Lau Sin-hoi.
In Luocun town, where Luns legend is widespread, there are many remains related to him, such the tomb of Lun Man-chui, Lun Man-chui memorial plaza, Lun Man-chui status and memorial hall.
Father of Chinas Railroad, Jeme Tien Yow
Jeme Tien Yow, born in Nanhai county in 1861, was a pioneering Chinese railroad engineer. Educated in Yale University in the US, he was the chief engineer responsible for construction of the Peking-Kalgan Railway (Beijing to Zhangjiakou). For his contributions to railroad engineering in China, Zhan is known as the "Father of Chinas Railroad".
Jeme Tien Yow is the subject of a Chinese TV series "Zhan Tianyou" which aired in 2000.
In 2016, a microfilm "Young Jeme Tian Yow", sponsored by the publicity department of Nanhai District government, was shot in Foshan, displaying Jeme Tian Yows early days when he lived in Nanhai.
In 1872, as a 12-year-old, Jeme Tien Yow was chosen by Qing imperial officials to be sent to the United States as part of the Chinese Educational Mission.
Foshan to build Gollywood
Foshan, as the cradle of Kungfu, has sparked many filmmakers inspiration. More films are expected to be shot in Foshan in the future.
“Gollywood” Southern Film & TV Center was set up in Foshan last year. Foshan strives to build Gollywood as a world-class film shooting base and works hard to develop film-induced tourism.
Foshan plans to offer free shooting locations for camera crews across the globe, including Xiqiao Mountain, Ancestral Temple, Nanfeng Ancient Kiln, Qinghui Garden and Nanguo Peach Park. A film shooting support system is to be built to attract more camera crews. These efforts may lead to the exposure of Foshan in more films, promoting Foshans city image across the world and attracting more tourists to visit Foshan.
Written by Morly