A Chinese Folk Hero, Wong Fei-hung (1847-1924) was a Real Life historical figure and Martial Artist. Fei-hung (his given name, with Wong being his family name) was the son of Wong Kei-ying, one of the Ten Tigers of Canton and the man who trained Fei-hung. Fei-hung is the most famous practitioner of the Hung Ga style of Kung Fu, a style most famous in the west for being the basis of Earthbending in Avatar: The Last Airbender. In addition to his martial skill, Fei-hung was also a physician, practicing traditional Chinese medicine at Po-Chi-Lam, a clinic on Foshan that he opened.
Fei-hung has been portrayed in film 89 times (77 of which were by Kwan Tak-hing, which is the cinematic record for most times an actor has portrayed the same character). In addition to the many portrayals of Wong Fei-hung himself, he has been a direct inspiration for a great many other fictional characters.
Tropes as portrayed in fiction:
- Bare-Fisted Monk: He perfected this move in kung fu.
- Drunken Master: Most notably in the Drunken Master series, but other portrayals of him have shown him using Drunken Boxing.
- Real Song Theme Tune: The traditional tune "On the General's Orders" is often associated with the character's film and TV appearances. A version with lyrics, George Lam's "A Man of Determination" (or "A Man Should Better Himself") was used for the Once Upon a Time in China series.
- Signature Move: The Shadowless Kick. What exactly it is depends on the work, ranging from just a very fast kick to laserblasts launched by kicking. In real life, it's usually a combination of a low-kick and a grapple.
- Star-Making Role: For both Jackie Chan and Jet Li, two of the most prominent Chinese action stars in recent years.
Appears in the following works:
- The Master Of Kung Fu: From Hong Kong's prestigious Shaw Brothers studios. Spawns two sequels, Challenge of the Masters and Rivals of Kung Fu and an unrelated follow-up, Martial Club.
- Drunken Master series: Jackie Chan plays a young and brash In Name Only Wong Fei-hung. Notably, he largely uses Drunken Boxing through much of the movie, but is shown doing a great deal of stance training more appropriate to hung ga.
- Iron Monkey: Fei-Hung has a smaller role, as he's just a child in this film. However, his father, Wong Kei-ying is the Deuteragonist.
- Millionaires' Express has Fei Hung showing up as a kid, for a couple of minutes. His dad Wong Kei-ying is portrayed by none other than old-timey kung fu icon, Jimmy Wang Yu.
- Once Upon a Time in China: Jet Li's Star-Making Role and one of the most influential wuxia film series of the 90s.
- Around the World in 80 Days (2004): In the Jackie Chan movie, Fei-hung is one of many historical characters to make cameos. He's played by Chan's friend Sammo Hung.
- Related: Fei-hung's father Wong Kei-ying appears in Atomic Robo as a member of the heroic team the Centurions of Science, alongside Robo's creator Nikola Tesla and other historical figures.
- The Unity of Heroes: A Role Reprise for Vincent Zhao, who plays Wong in the fourth and fifth installments of Once Upon a Time in China, where he gets to play Wong again after two decades. Followed by two sequels, Kung fu Alliance and Wrath of Sea.
- Bookworm Adventures: The sequel has Wong appear as a companion, with his name misspelled as "Wong Fei Hong".
- In The Avengers (Jason Aaron), Wong appears in a montage of Marvel's most long running Legacy Characters, as the Drunken Iron Fist.
Fictional Characters Based on Wong Fei-hung:
- The Last Blade: Lee Rekka is based on Jet Li's portrayal of Wong Fei-Hung from Once Upon A Time In China.
- Xenogears: Fei Fong Wong is based on Master Wong, according to Word of God.
- Batman: The Brave and the Bold: Wong Fei, Bronze Tiger's master, is named after Wong Fei-Hung (though he's more modeled after Pai Mei).
