훠위안자 민족영웅 만들기의 재구성

Abstract

Huo Yuanjia, the renowned Chinese national hero, was not a hero from the beginning. Huo was merely a nameless martial artist from a small town, and yet posthumously he was reborn as a national hero due to his achievements during his brief six-month stay in Shanghai. Afterwards, he had been forgotten for a while and then became remembered eventually. His story has been related to the historical circumstances of China including Hong Kong. This study examines the processes of making a national hero, Huo Yuanjia and explores the stories behind the hero-making. Through this investigation, the study suggests that he was a creation of the specific historical situations in China--national crises caused by foreign powers and emerging needs of Zi Qiang (self-strengthening) and Shang Wu (worship of martial). The findings of the study specifically illustrates the crucial roles the Chin Woo Athletic Association and Pingjiang Buxiaosheng, the martial artist and martial arts novel writer, played in the creation of Huo Yuanjia, the national hero.