wuxia

'''' ( , ) is a genre of Chinese fiction and low fantasy concerning the adventures of martial artists in ancient China. Although is traditionally a form of historical fantasy literature, its popularity has caused it to be adapted for such diverse art forms as Chinese opera, manhua, television dramas, films, donghua, and video games. It forms part of popular culture in many Chinese-speaking communities around the world. Although they are commonly described as a subgenre of martial arts movies, according to Hong Kong film director, producer, and movie writer Ronny Yu, wuxia movies are not to be confused with the genre in a strict sense.

The word "" is a compound composed of the two elements (, literally "martial", "military", or "armed") and (, literally "chivalrous", "vigilante" or "hero"). There is a third element in wuxia, for a vigilante martial artist who follows the code of is often referred to as a (, literally "follower of ") or (, literally "wandering "). In some translations, the martial artist is referred to as a () or (), either of which can be interpreted as a "swordsman" or "swordswoman", even though they may not necessarily wield a sword.