Life
Wang was born with his birth name as "Zhongfu" in a wealthy family in 1113. He was educated in Chinese classics and martial arts. Wang intended to start a rebellion against the Jurchen Jin dynasty, which conquered northern China in the Jin–Song Wars.
According to tradition, in the summer of 1159 when he was 48, he met two Taoist immortals in a tavern, Zhongli Quan and Lü Dongbin. They trained him in secret forms of Taoism. He changed his name to "Zhe" and adopted the Taoist name "Chongyang". In 1160, Wang met one of the immortals again and was provided with a set of written instructions called "Ganshui Xianyuan Lu". Those written instructions included the names of two men who would later become his disciples (Ma Yu and Tan Chuduan). Wang built a tomb for himself near Mount Zhongnan and called it "Tomb of the Living Dead". He lived in it for three years.
Description
- Series Host : Wang Chong Yang
- Chinese : 王重陽
- Family name : Wang
- Given names : Zhongfu, Dewei, Zhe
- Courtesy names : Yunqing, Shixiong, Zhiming
- Pseudonym : Chongyangzi
- Nickname(s) : Central Divine
- Gender : Male
- Romantic interest(s) : Lin Chaoying
- Organisations : Quanzhen Sect (founder)
- Official students : Ma Yu, Tan Chuduan, Liu Chuxuan, Qiu Chuji, Wang Chuyi, Hao Datong, Sun Bu'er
- Unofficial students : Zhou Botong
- Series Appeareance : The Legend of the Condor Heroes, The Return of the Condor Heroes
- Potrayer : Lee Lung Kei
In 1167, Wang burnt down the hut and travelled east to Shandong, where he met Ma Yu and Ma's wife, Sun Bu'er. They became his disciples as well. He accepted a total of seven disciples who later became known as "Seven Masters of Quanzhen" or "Seven Elders of Quanzhen". They are also called the "Seven Immortals" or "Seven Perfected Beings".
In 1187, Emperor Shizong of Jin summoned Wang's disciple Wang Chuyi (and, according to some sources, also Qiu Chuji) to preach in his inner palace. Later, he requested the presence of Wang Chuyi at his deathbed. Shizong's successor, Emperor Zhangzong, banned the teaching of Quanzhen Taoism. He considered them as causing heretical and detrimental to society; He converted to Quanzhen's teachings later and let Wang Chuyi stay in Yanjing (present-day Beijing) for a year. Shizong's grandson Wanyan Shou later wrote a biography for Wang Chongyang.
Writings
Wang was the author of many poems of Taoist instruction. According to legend, Liu Chuxuan became a follower of Wang after reading one of Wang's poems. Wang's writings include:
- An Anthology of Complete Perfection by Chongyang" (Chongyang Quanzhen Ji)
- Chongyang's Anthology on Teaching Transformation" (Chongyang Jiaohua Ji)
- Chongyang's Anthology of the Ten Transformations by Dividing Pears" (Chongyang fenli shihua ji) (The phrase "to divide a pear" is a pun for "to separate," these were writings intended to convince Ma Yu and Sun Bu'er to separate in order to better cultivate the Dao.)
The most notable ones among Wang's seven disciples were Sun Bu'er and Qiu Chuji. Sun's husband, Ma Yu, was one of the seven, while she became an important role model for female Taoists. Ma Yu later succeeded Wang as the leader of the Quanzhen School. Qiu Chuji gained the favour of Genghis Khan and founded the White Cloud Monastery in Beijing. Genghis Khan granted tax-exempt status to all Quanzhen schools and placed Qiu in charge of all religions in China. Each of the seven disciples founded his or her own lineage of Quanzhen Taoism. They are as follows:
- Ma Yu founded the Yuxian lineage (Meeting the Immortals)
- Tan Chuduan founded the Nanwu lineage (Southern Void)
- Liu Chuxuan founded the Suishan lineage (Mount Sui)
- Qiu Chuji founded the Longmen lineage (Dragon Gate)
- Wang Chuyi founded the Yushan lineage (Mount Yu)
- Hao Datong founded the Huashan lineage (Mount Hua)
- Sun Bu'er founded the Qingjing lineage (Clarity and Stillness)
Condor Trilogy
Wang appears as a character in the novel The Legend of the Condor Heroes and its sequel The Return of the Condor Heroes, both written by Jin Yong (Louis Cha). Although he is only mentioned by name, he is credited as the "Central Divine" of the Five Greats, the top five champions of the first martial arts contest on Mount Hua. He is depicted as a patriotic Taoist of the predominantly-Han Chinese society of the Song Empire, and seeks to protect his people from the Jurchen Jin dynasty's invasion of northern China.
He founds the Quanzhen Sect, based in Chongyang Palace on Mount Zhongnan, with the aim of grooming and nurturing Taoists, who are trained in martial arts, to serve the country and uphold justice. After Wang's death, his seven students, known as the "Seven Immortals of Quanzhen", inherit his legacy and promote Quanzhen to become one of the leading orthodox sects in the wulin (martial artists' community).
The sequel provides a glimpse into Wang's romance with Lin Chaoying, founder of the Ancient Tomb Sect. In his earlier life, Wang had an ancient tomb built at Mount Zhongnan, intended to serve as a secret base of operations for the battles against the Jurchens. He lost to Lin in a martial arts contest and had to abide by his promise to give up the tomb to her and become a Taoist.
Wang and Lin remain rivals for the rest of their lives, constantly innovating new martial arts techniques to defeat each other. However, Yang Guo and Xiaolongnü discover later that Lin apparently hates Wang but actually still loves him. This is evident from the fact that although Lin's martial arts seem to counter Wang's, they actually complement his skills.
Other appearances
In the manhua series Oriental Heroes by Hong Kong artist Wong Yuk-long, Wang Chongyang is noted as the creator of the 'Nine Solar Art'.
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Source : Wikipedia
