Hung Hei-gun


Hung Hei-gun or Hong Xiguan was a Chinese martial artist who lived in the Qing dynasty. He was also an influential figure in the Southern Shaolin school of Chinese martial arts. His name is also alternatively romanised as Hung Hei-koon, Hung Hei-kwun, Hung Hsi-kuan, and similar renditions.

Life

Hung was originally a tea merchant. He escaped to the Southern Shaolin Monastery in Fookienese Province after having an argument with Manchus elites. The abbot, Reverend Jee-sin, accepted him into the monastery and soon found out how talented and hardworking he was in Southern Shaolin martial arts. Jee-sin was impressed by these qualities and soon began to teach Hung the Black Tiger Fist that he specialised in. After six years, Hung became the best among the "lay" members of Southern Shaolin Monastery. These "lay" members refer to people who learnt Southern Shaolin martial arts but were not ordained as monks in the monastery. However, Qing government forces destroyed Southern Shaolin Monastery later because the monastery provided refuge for many rebels seeking to overthrow the Qing dynasty.

Students

Hung had two notable students: Luk Ah-choi and Lei Jou-fan. Luk learnt Southern Shaolin martial arts from both Hung and Hung's master, Reverend Jee-sin. He founded the Hung Ga style of martial arts, which he named after the Hung-mun, a Chinese fraternal organisation that was associated with the anti-Qing revolutionary movement. Lei founded the Hung Fut style of martial arts.

Cultural references

portrayed Hung in the 1994 Hong Kong television series The Kung Fu Master, which was produced by ATV and based on legends about Hung and Fong Sai-yuk. Jet Li also portrayed Hung in the 1994 Hong Kong film The New Legend of Shaolin, which was loosely based on Hung's life and incorporated elements from the Japanese manga Lone Wolf and Cub.