Whether you want to write a wuxia novel, historical fiction set in premodern China, or a fantasy novel based on traditional China in some way, there’s a lot of stuff you need to know if you want your work to be as authentic as it can be. When it comes to wuxia, unfortunately there’s not a lot of information available in English, but there is some. I have a list of resources to get you started below, and then another list of books that wil come in handy when researching traditional China in general.

This post is the first in a series in which I will discuss different aspects of Chinese history and culture. Some will be of general use such as how did people address each other, what what were city walls like, etc. Other posts will be specific to wuxia, such as a discussion of the jianghu, martial arts schools, a comparison of different authors’ fight scenes, etc. Just topics I think are good to know when writing wuxia or any other Chinese period piece. I will take requests if anyone has a specific question they want answered. I’ll answer it if I can, or try to point you in the right direction if I can’t.

The dearth of wuxia novels translated into English makes it difficult for those who can’t read Chinese to learn more about the genre. I mean, if you’re going to write wuxia novels then you need to read wuxia novels. That’s just common sense. There are some you can read. I have a list of them on my site you can check out. Only a few authors have been translated, though, mainly Jin Yong and Gu Long. Their writing styles were unique, and though they did influence other writers, still the field of wuxia fiction as a whole was a bit different than these two authors might make it seem. I’m talking about the tropes and conventions used, often overused, the recycled plots, and so forth. This series of posts will address some of that stuff that isn’t available in English currently.