Seven Swordsmen

Not to be confused with Seven Swords.
Seven Swordsmen

DVD cover art
Also known as Seven Swords of Mount Heaven
Genre Wuxia
Written by Liang Yusheng (original story)
Li Changfu
Directed by Clarence Fok
Presented by Zhu Tong
Ma Zhongjun
Deng Fan
Tie Fo
Starring Vincent Zhao
Wang Xuebing
Ray Lui
Ada Choi
Qiao Zhenyu
Li Xiaoran
Wang Likun
Opening theme Ayiyahei (阿伊呀嘿) performed by Wang Yong and Yu Jiangying
Ending theme Kong Chuan (空船) performed by Ke Yimin
Country of origin China
Original language(s) Mandarin
Cantonese
No. of episodes 34
Production
Executive producer(s) Tsui Hark
Tie Fo
Producer(s) Ma Zhongjun
Wang Yong
Wu Libo
Location(s) China
Running time 45 minutes per episode
Production company(s) Ciwen Pictures
Release
First shown in March 2006 (China)
20 July 2006 (Hong Kong)
Seven Swordsmen
Traditional Chinese 七劍下天山
Simplified Chinese 七剑下天山
Literal meaning Seven Swords Descend from Mount Heaven

Seven Swordsmen is a 2006 television series directed by Clarence Fok and produced by Tsui Hark. The series is adapted from Liang Yusheng's novels Qijian Xia Tianshan and Saiwai Qixia Zhuan. It is also the derived counterpart of the 2005 film Seven Swords, which was also directed and produced by Tsui Hark.

Plot

In the mid-17th century, the Manchus conquer the territories of the former Ming Empire and establish the Qing Empire. Fearing that the wulin (martial artists' community) would pose a threat to them, the Qing government passes a martial arts ban forbidding the common people from practising martial arts and possessing weapons. Prince Dokado, a Manchu noble, leads an army to eliminate those who defy the order. Dokado and his men kill many martial artists before assaulting Martial Village, which houses rebels from the Red Spears Society, an anti-Qing resistance movement. Two young villagers, Han Zhibang and Wu Yuanying, break out of the siege and follow Fu Qingzhu to Mount Heaven to seek help from Master Huiming, a reclusive martial artist and sword forger.

Huiming allows his four students — Chu Zhaonan, Yang Yuncong, Xin Longzi and Mulang — to join the trio on their quest to save the wulin from the Qing government's persecution. Each of the seven men receives a special sword from Huiming. They call themselves "Seven Swords".

The Seven Swords return in the nick of time and save the villagers from attacking Qing soldiers. However, they decide to split up temporarily later to avoid trouble, and embark on their respective missions and adventures. Han Zhibang and Mulang remain with the villagers, while Fu Qingzhu, Xin Longzi and Wu Yuanying travel to the capital to assassinate the Qing emperor.

Meanwhile, Chu Zhaonan falls into a trap and is captured by Fenghuo Liancheng, a ruthless Manchu general. He falls in love with Fenghuo Liancheng's slave, Lüzhu, but their romance ends in tragedy when she sacrifices herself to help him escape. Chu Zhaonan meets Yang Yuncong in northwestern China, where they join the Desert Eagles, a tribal anti-Qing organisation led by the legendary heroine Feihongjin. Yang Yuncong is wounded during a battle with Qing forces, but is rescued by Nalan Minghui, an enemy general's daughter. They fall in love, despite standing on opposing sides, but are not fated to be together as Nalan Minghui's father has arranged for her to marry Dokado. However, Nalan is already pregnant with Yang's child and she gives birth to a baby girl later.

In the capital, Fu Qingzhu and company sneak into the palace and attempt to assassinate the Shunzhi Emperor, but, ironically, they end up saving the emperor from a coup staged by some nobles. In Hangzhou, Han Zhibang is elected as the new leader of the Red Spears Society for his heroic acts in rescuing his imprisoned comrades. After the reunion of the Seven Swords, Chu Zhaonan pretends to defect to the enemy and use the opportunity to get close to Dokado and assassinate him. Chu's plan fails because Dokado is aware of his intentions and manipulates him into killing some of the rebels, resulting in Chu's fellows starting to doubt his loyalty.

Eventually, to prove his innocence, Chu Zhaonan and the other six swordsmen challenge Dokado to a battle on the Qiantang River bank. Although the battle concludes with Dokado's defeat, it also causes the division of the Seven Swords. Yang Yuncong is killed in action; Xin Longzi goes missing after entering a fit of insanity; Mulang returns to Mount Heaven in shame with Yang's infant daughter after carelessly allowing the enemy to infiltrate the rebels' hideout; Chu Zhaonan is deeply traumatised by the devastating experiences he went through, and he abandons his fellows along with his conscience. While Fu Qingzhu and Wu Yuanying search for their missing comrades, Han Zhibang stays behind to help the surviving rebels rebuild their forces.

List of episodes

# Rough translation of title (in English) Original title (in Chinese)
1 Swordsmen from Mount Heaven 天山剑客
2 The Seven Swords 七剑
3 The battle of Boye 决战博野
4 Yufang is poisoned 郁芳中毒
5 The real and fake secret passage 真假秘道
6 The Transience's true character 青干本色
7 Mulang's blood 穆郎的血
8 The sorrowful Dragon 悲情由龙
9 Green Pearl is heartless 绿珠无情
10 Yufang's wedding 郁芳婚礼
11 The Desert Eagles 沙漠之鹰
12 Flying shadows of Red Sash 飞影红巾
13 The Transience and the Dragon 青干由龙
14 Chivalrous bones and tender feelings 侠骨柔情
15 Nalan Minghui 纳兰明慧
16 Children in a chaotic world 乱世儿女
17 A sacrifice to end the war 止战之殇
18 Iron blood and loyal heart 铁血丹心
19 Shadows of heroes in the capital 京城侠影
20 Dokado's contest for power 多格多争霸
21 Ten days siege 十日围城
22 Meeting of dragons and tigers 龙虎会
23 Gathering of heroes 聚义风云
24 The mystery of the tangerine orchard 桔园之谜
25 The Sun and Moon and the Deity 日月舍神
26 Guild Master Han Zhibang 舵主韩志邦
27 Turmoil in Hangzhou 杭州风暴
28 Crisis in the lantern corner 灯笼坊风暴
29 Pretending to surrender to Dokado 诈降多格多
30 The Dragon changes colour 变色由龙
31 Two irreconcilable powers 势不两立
32 Minghui's grand wedding 明慧大婚
33 The breaking 决裂
34 The battle of the Qiantang River 决战钱塘江

Cast

See also

External links

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