In a 1994 newspaper interview, writer Jin Yong was asked, "Who is the most skilled martial artist in your novels?" He immediately replied, "That person is Zhang Sanfeng. Zhang Zhenren's martial arts were unmatched a thousand years ago, and no one will surpass them a thousand years from now." So why did Jin Yong favor Zhang Sanfeng so much?
Kim Dung wanted to build a monument to martial arts and convey his martial arts philosophy.
Kim Dung admired the philosophy of life of Zhang Sanfeng in real life.
Zhang Sanfeng (Zhang Junbao) was a real historical figure from the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties. He was the founder of the Wudang school of martial arts, as well as the two martial arts styles of "Tai Chi Quan" and "Tai Chi Sword." According to legends and accounts about him, Zhang Junbao was considered the greatest martial arts master of all time in China, and even Emperor Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang repeatedly invited him to serve him.
However, Zhang Sanfeng was a reclusive Taoist, a true "martial arts master," indifferent to fame and fortune, not seeking to compete with anyone, and dedicated to helping others. Instead of assisting Emperor Ming Taizu, he preferred a life of wandering and enjoying the scenery.
Because he admired Zhang Sanfeng's philosophy of life, Jin Yong depicted him as reaching the highest level of martial arts and living to the age of 200 in his novels. In Jin Yong's novels, Zhang Sanfeng appears from the end of *The Condor Heroes*, at which point he is known as Zhang Junbao – a disciple of Master Jueyuan of Shaolin Temple. However, it was in *The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber* that this character truly left a lasting impression on readers.
The writer Jin Yong greatly admired the philosophy of life of Zhang Sanfeng in real life.
As a renowned figure in the martial arts world, Zhang Sanfeng's life and career have been portrayed on screen by many big names in the Chinese entertainment industry. While sharing a common innate martial arts talent, the image of this great master, as depicted by these actors, exudes completely different charisma and demeanor.
Appearing in the 2009 adaptation of *The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber *, Zhang Sanfeng was already a renowned figure, a respected elder in the martial arts world. All these qualities were successfully portrayed by veteran Chinese actor Yu Chenghui, winning the hearts of many viewers. However, he passed away in 2015, leaving many fans of Jin Yong's martial arts novels deeply saddened.
In 2019, the new version of *The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber* received mixed reviews from audiences. Besides the main cast, Wang De Shun garnered significant attention for his portrayal of the classic Zhang San Feng. The 83-year-old actor's appearance was considered very suitable for the role, as he needed no makeup; his demeanor perfectly matched the original character in Jin Yong's martial arts novel.
The actor once shared that, despite his advanced age, he still performs all the fight scenes in his films using wire ropes without a stunt double. Every day he is busy filming, attending events, giving speeches, shooting commercials, and more.
Martial arts star Donnie Yen plays the role of Zhang Sanfeng.
In 2022, the film adaptation of *The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber *, directed by Wang Jing, was completed after three years and a budget of $28.6 million. The producers expected the film to gross over $300 million at the box office upon release. The character Zhang Sanfeng was played by martial arts star Donnie Yen. Although his appearance in this version was only a cameo, it still impressed audiences with its series of action scenes.
His martial arts talent was unmatched.
Zhang Sanfeng first appeared in The Condor Heroes at the age of 14, serving as an assistant to Grandmaster Jueyuan at Shaolin Temple. His image concludes in The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber. He was fortunate enough to receive 5-6 stages of the Nine Yang Divine Skill from Grandmaster Jueyuan, significantly increasing his internal strength. Later in life, Zhang Sanfeng also created his own Tai Chi Quan and Tai Chi Sword, based on the principles of using stillness to control movement and softness to overcome hardness.
If we were to compare them, there are three characters who could be considered on par with Zhang Sanfeng in Jin Yong's martial arts novels: the Nameless Monk in *Tian Long Ba Bu* , Dugu Qiubai (who appears indirectly in *The Condor Heroes * and *The Smiling Proud Wanderer* ), and Wang Chongyang in *The Legend of the Condor Heroes * and *The Return of the Condor Heroes*.
Similar to Zhang Sanfeng, all three possessed martial arts skills that reached a supreme level, making them unrivaled in the novels in which they appeared. The Nameless Monk could subdue the strongest characters in the stories, but his martial arts skills came from 40 years of studying in the Sutra Repository; he himself did not create any new martial arts. Wang Chongyang received his training from the Taoist master Qingxu. Wang Chongyang himself also did not create any martial arts that gained worldwide fame.
As for the sword demon Dugu Qiubai, it's difficult to determine the origin of his martial arts, so we won't discuss their creative aspects for comparison. However, in terms of enlightenment, this character is far inferior to Zhang Sanfeng. Specifically, he considered himself unrivaled in the world.
In terms of martial arts prowess, the writer Jin Yong acknowledged that no one could compare to Zhang Zhenren. The late writer said: " Zhang Sanfeng mastered all the martial arts in the world, mastering both softness and hardness, yin and yang, creating the Tai Chi Quan and Tai Chi Sword styles, using softness to overcome hardness, and understanding the principles of heaven and earth."
Zhang Sanfeng truly didn't view martial arts as something to compete for or vie for "the greatest in the world." He even created martial arts techniques that used softness to overcome hardness. This is precisely the highest level of martial arts that Jin Yong wanted to convey.
(Source: Zing News)
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