Story with a Kicker

Produced by the Shenzhen Opera & Dance Theater, Wing Chun follows a group of young filmmakers at Shenzhen Film Studio as they work on a 1990s movie about the martial arts legend. Their story intertwines with the real-life events of Ip Man’s journey, from founding his Wing Chun Hall in Hong Kong to his lifelong mission to promote the martial art worldwide.　

Since its debut on December 22, 2022 at Shenzhen Poly Theater, the dance drama has garnered widespread acclaim. A 13-minute performance of its signature martial arts sequence, “The Battle of Five Grandmasters,” was featured on video streaming app Bilibili’s New Year’s Eve Gala on December 31, 2022.　

The clip has since hit over 280 million views on Bilibili. With its seamless fusion of traditional martial arts, contemporary dance and modern storytelling, Wing Chun has captivated audiences both in China and beyond.

It is widely believed to have been founded by the Buddhist nun Ng Mui. Compared with other kung fu styles, wing chun is comparatively soft and subtle, making it better suited to female practitioners.　

There are at least eight major lineages of wing chun, with the Ip Man lineage the most renowned.　

Born in 1893 into a wealthy family in Foshan, Ip Man studied wing chun under masters Chan Wah-shun and Leung Bik. In 1916, at the age of 24, he became a police officer for the Republic of China (1911-1949) government while also teaching wing chun privately to colleagues, friends and relatives.　

After migrating to Hong Kong in 1949, he established Wing Chun Hall, where he spent over two decades refining and promoting the art. Many of his students went on to become masters in their own right, the most famous being Bruce Lee, who revolutionized martial arts cinema.　

Ip Man believed that moral integrity was the foundation of martial arts. He held that one should cultivate virtue before mastering kung fu, valuing righteousness and honor above physical prowess. A man of gentleness and humility, he became a revered figure among Chinese martial artists.　

Wing Chun is the latest production co-directed and choreographed by Han Zhen and Zhou Liya, known as the “twin stars of Chinese dance drama.” The duo has created a series of critically acclaimed performances that blend history, culture and contemporary artistry.　

Before Wing Chun, Han and Zhou co-produced two highly successful dance dramas. In 2018, The Eternal Wave mesmerized audiences with its portrayal of Communist Party of China intelligence agent Li Bai and his wife Qiu Lanfen, who risked their lives for 12 years transmitting secret messages via radio from 1937 to 1949. In 2021, they followed up with A Tapestry of a Legendary Land, a visually stunning dance-poetry drama inspired by A Panorama of Rivers and Mountains, an art masterpiece from the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127).　

The Wing Chun project began in 2019. To gain a deeper understanding of its cultural roots, Han and Zhou conducted extensive field research in Guangdong, exploring the traditions of Lingnan culture. Also known as Cantonese culture, Lingnan culture encompasses Guangdong, Hainan Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Over the centuries, Cantonese migrants carried their traditions to Hong Kong, Macao and overseas Chinese communities, making Lingnan culture an influential part of global Chinese heritage.　

Han told NewsChina that Ip Man and the philosophy of wing chun embody the spirit of Lingnan culture. During production, she and Zhou reflected on the relevance of traditional martial arts in today’s world. They incorporated traditional wing chun maxims into the show, such as diligence, perseverance, humility and righteousness.　

For Han, these principles reflect core values of Chinese culture. Bridging tradition and modernity through wing chun, the show brings the wisdom of the past into the contemporary world.

However, the dance drama Wing Chun takes a different approach. It employs a parallel narrative structure, unfolding two distinct yet interconnected stories on stage. One follows a local film studio in Shenzhen struggling to produce an Ip Man biopic in the early 1990s. The other chronicles Ip Man’s migration to Hong Kong and his efforts to promote wing chun beyond China’s borders.　

These two storylines, set in different times and spaces, intertwine seamlessly. As Ip Man moves from Foshan to Hong Kong to establish his martial arts academy, a group of young filmmakers, including lighting engineer Da Chun, heads south to Shenzhen, chasing their moviemaking dreams.　

“We had no intention of following the well-worn narratives of Ip Man told in films and TV series,” Han Zhen told NewsChina. “Each era has different understandings of kung fu. I think we should have our own way of telling a new story with fresh expressions.”　

This motivation led Han and her team to call the production Wing Chun rather than Ip Man or The Grandmaster. To Han, Wing Chun embodies the pursuit of dreams, a legacy passed down from the martial arts master to every ordinary person in the story.　

Chinese martial arts films, Han noted, have been instrumental in popularizing traditional martial arts globally. Born in 1980, she, like millions of her peers, grew up watching martial arts heroes on screen.　

During a research trip to Guangdong, she and co-director Zhou Liya visited the Shenzhen Film Studio archives. They discovered that many Hong Kong martial arts films of the 1980s and 1990s were co-produced with mainland filmmakers. Behind the success of these films were countless unsung creators. This inspired them to craft a narrative that not only honored Ip Man but also paid tribute to the many artists that made Chinese martial arts cinema possible.　

Through a parallel narrative, Wing Chun not only expands the show’s boundaries of time and space, but also gives audiences an omnipresence in the story, allowing them to witness the creative struggles behind the films.　

“We all crave stories of heroes and long for figures who embody our national identity,” Han said. “We expect to strengthen our self-confidence in these narratives. Heroes particularly stand out in martial arts. In a modern context, what does it mean to be a hero? Who are today’s heroes? Perhaps they are the everyday people who dedicate themselves to their craft to pursue their dreams and make a better life,” Han said.　

In celebrating righteous martial artists, Wing Chun also honors the dreams of ordinary people. As the curtain falls, a final message appears: The hero stands in light. We all can be that beam of light.

Last autumn, the production captivated audiences in Paris and London. It ran for 12 performances at London’s Sadler’s Wells Theatre from August to September 2024, followed by four shows at the Palais des Congrès in Paris from October 4-6.　

Han Zhen was surprised by the enthusiastic response, particularly in London. British audiences, whom she had expected to be more reserved, gave standing ovations night after night, cheering and applauding so fervently that the cast took multiple curtain calls.　

Observing the London audience over 12 performances, Han noted an interesting shift. At the debut, around 40 percent of the attendees were Asian, including many martial arts enthusiasts dressed in kung fu attire. However, as word of mouth spread, more theatergoers from diverse backgrounds attended, with non-Asian viewers eventually making up over 80 percent of the audience.　

Farooq Chaudhry, a renowned Pakistani-British dance producer and choreographer who has significantly influenced the UK dance scene, attended the London debut and was deeply impressed by how Wing Chun seamlessly blended contemporary dance with martial arts.　

“I’m a big fan of Chinese dance and dance drama,” Chaudhry told Shenzhen Special Zone Daily. “Stories teach us about the culture they come from. They help us understand what it means to be human while also offering a deeper insight into Chinese culture.”　

Many theatergoers in London watched the show multiple times. Chaudhry bought tickets for his family and returned for a second viewing with friends. With over 20,000 tickets sold in Paris and London, Wing Chun became the most-performed and highest-grossing Chinese dance drama in Europe.　

To Han, nothing is more powerful than emotional resonance. She recalled that during the show’s first international performance at Singapore’s Esplanade Theatres on the Bay on September 27, 2023, she noticed an elderly Chinese couple sitting on the edge of their seats throughout the performance. They clenched their fists near the end, stood up and applauded heartily during the curtain call.　

After the show, the couple approached Han and shared their story. Having emigrated from Guangdong to Southeast Asia decades earlier, they saw themselves reflected in the characters and felt a deep nostalgia for their homeland.　

“I’ve always believed that audiences from different cultures can connect with this story,” Zhou Liya told NewsChina.　

“This work not only showcases kung fu, which the world is familiar with, but also manifests the inner strength and characteristics of Chinese people,” Zhou added. “I think through this work, Western audiences can better understand how Chinese people think and feel,” Zhou stressed.