Seven Swordsmen

Seven Swordsmen is a 2006 television series directed by Clarence Fok and produced by Tsui Hark. The series is adapted from Liang Yusheng's novels Qijian Xia Tianshan and Saiwai Qixia Zhuan. It is also the derived counterpart of the 2005 film Seven Swords, which was also directed and produced by Tsui Hark.

Plot

In the mid-17th century, the Manchus conquer the territories of the former Ming Empire and establish the Qing Empire. Fearing that the wulin (martial artists' community) would pose a threat to them, the Qing government passes a martial arts ban forbidding the common people from practising martial arts and possessing weapons. Prince Dokado, a Manchu noble, leads an army to eliminate those who defy the order. Dokado and his men kill many martial artists before assaulting Martial Village, which houses rebels from the Red Spears Society, an anti-Qing resistance movement. Two young villagers, Han Zhibang and Wu Yuanying, break out of the siege and follow Fu Qingzhu to Mount Heaven to seek help from Master Huiming, a reclusive martial artist and sword forger.

Huiming allows his four students — Chu Zhaonan, Yang Yuncong, Xin Longzi and Mulang — to join the trio on their quest to save the wulin from the Qing government's persecution. Each of the seven men receives a special sword from Huiming. They call themselves "Seven Swords".

The Seven Swords return in the nick of time and save the villagers from attacking Qing soldiers. However, they decide to split up temporarily later to avoid trouble, and embark on their respective missions and adventures. Han Zhibang and Mulang remain with the villagers, while Fu Qingzhu, Xin Longzi and Wu Yuanying travel to the capital to assassinate the Qing emperor.

Meanwhile, Chu Zhaonan falls into a trap and is captured by Fenghuo Liancheng, a ruthless Manchu general. He falls in love with Fenghuo Liancheng's slave, Lüzhu, but their romance ends in tragedy when she sacrifices herself to help him escape. Chu Zhaonan meets Yang Yuncong in northwestern China, where they join the Desert Eagles, a tribal anti-Qing organisation led by the legendary heroine Feihongjin. Yang Yuncong is wounded during a battle with Qing forces, but is rescued by Nalan Minghui, an enemy general's daughter. They fall in love, despite standing on opposing sides, but are not fated to be together as Nalan Minghui's father has arranged for her to marry Dokado. However, Nalan is already pregnant with Yang's child and she gives birth to a baby girl later.

In the capital, Fu Qingzhu and company sneak into the palace and attempt to assassinate the Shunzhi Emperor, but, ironically, they end up saving the emperor from a coup staged by some nobles. In Hangzhou, Han Zhibang is elected as the new leader of the Red Spears Society for his heroic acts in rescuing his imprisoned comrades. After the reunion of the Seven Swords, Chu Zhaonan pretends to defect to the enemy and use the opportunity to get close to Dokado and assassinate him. Chu's plan fails because Dokado is aware of his intentions and manipulates him into killing some of the rebels, resulting in Chu's fellows starting to doubt his loyalty.

Eventually, to prove his innocence, Chu Zhaonan and the other six swordsmen challenge Dokado to a battle on the Qiantang River bank. Although the battle concludes with Dokado's defeat, it also causes the division of the Seven Swords. Yang Yuncong is killed in action; Xin Longzi goes missing after entering a fit of insanity; Mulang returns to Mount Heaven in shame with Yang's infant daughter after carelessly allowing the enemy to infiltrate the rebels' hideout; Chu Zhaonan is deeply traumatised by the devastating experiences he went through, and he abandons his fellows along with his conscience. While Fu Qingzhu and Wu Yuanying search for their missing comrades, Han Zhibang stays behind to help the surviving rebels rebuild their forces.

List of episodes

Cast

• Vincent Zhao as Chu Zhaonan, the wielder of the Dragon.
• Wang Xuebing as Yang Yuncong, the wielder of the Transience.
• Ji Chunhua as Xin Longzi, the wielder of the Star Chasers.
• Qiao Zhenyu as Mulang, the wielder of the Sun and Moon.
• Zhang Bo as Han Zhibang, the wielder of the Deity.
• Sang Weilin as Wu Yuanying, the wielder of the Heaven's Fall.
• Yu Chenghui as Fu Qingzhu, the wielder of the Unlearnt.
• Ray Lui as Dokado, a Manchu prince and the primary antagonist in the story.
• Ada Choi as Feihongjin (Flying Red Sash), the leader of the Desert Eagles.
• Li Xiaoran as Nalan Minghui, Nalan Xiuji's daughter and Yang Yuncong's love interest.
• Wang Likun as Liu Yufang, Liu Jingyi's daughter.
• Bryan Leung as Liu Jingyi, the chief of Martial Village.
• Askar Maimaiti as Ai'erjiang, a singer and Feihongjin's ex-lover.
• Sun Feifei as Dong Xiaowan, Mao Pijiang's wife who was forced to be the Shunzhi Emperor's concubine.
• Edell Ai as Lüzhu (Green Pearl), a slave girl who becomes Chu Zhaonan's first love.
• Eryang as Nalan Xiuji, a Manchu general.
• Xu Xiangdong as Niuhuru, Dokado's mentor.
• Sun Jiankui as Qi Zhenjun, a swordsman hired by Dokado to fight the Seven Swords.
• Tan Kai as Fenghuo Liancheng (Fire Wind Linked Cities), a Manchu general and former baturu.
• Gao Lu as Chuntao, Nalan Minghui's servant.
• Xie Zhenwei as the Shunzhi Emperor, the ruler of the Qing dynasty.
• Dai Chunrong as Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, the Shunzhi Emperor's mother.
• Kent Tong as Aolong, an ambitious Manchu noble plotting to usurp the throne.
• Guo Hongjie as Zhang Chengbin, Dokado's deputy.
• Liu Tieyong as Zhang Kui, Dokado's deputy.
• Zhang Xin as Qiu Dongluo, a spy planted in Martial Village by Dokado.
• Wang Huarong as Zhang Huazhao, the oldest among the children of Martial Village.
• Ma Ji as Gu Sandao, a member of Martial Village.
• Chen Zhou as Zhang Laifu, a member of Martial Village.
• Zheng Li as Zhou Chaotai, a member of Martial Village.
• Zhou He as Shao Zhanpeng, a member of Martial Village.
• Milading as Ailike, the second-in-command of the Desert Eagles.
• Dilireba'ao as Manlingna, Kelimu's wife.
• Ma Jingwu as Reverend Huiming (Master Shadow Glow), a reclusive swordsman and sword forger.
• Zhu Feng as Mao Pijiang, Dong Xiaowan's husband.
• Wang Xinfen as the White Haired Demoness, Feihongjin's teacher and Reverend Huiming's ex-lover.

See also

• Seven Swords
• Legend of the White Hair Brides

External links

• Seven Swordsmen at the Internet Movie Database
• (Chinese) Seven Swordsmen on Sina.com
• Seven Swordsmen on wu-jing.org