Swordsman is a 2013 Chinese television series adapted from Louis Cha's novel The Smiling, Proud Wanderer. The series is written and produced by Yu Zheng, and stars Wallace Huo, Joe Chen, Yuan Shanshan, Chen Xiao and Yang Rong. Shooting started on 24 March 2015 in Xiandu, Jinyun County, Lishui, Zhejiang. It was first aired in China on Hunan Television from 6 February to 4 March 2013. The plot deviates significantly from the novel, with Dongfang Bubai depicted as a woman (instead of a castrated man) and having a romantic affair with Linghu Chong.
Plot
Cast
Wallace Huo as Linghu Chong / Yang Lianting
Joe Chen as Dongfang Bubai
Yuan Shanshan as Ren Yingying / Xuexin
Jiang Yiyi as young Ren Yingying
Chen Xiao as Lin Pingzhi / Duyuan (Lin Yuantu) Yang Rong as Yue Lingshan Howie Huang as Yue Buqun Wu Junyu as young Yue Buqun Yang Mingna as Ning Zhongze Heizi as Ren Woxing Deng Sha as Yilin Bryan Leung as Feng Qingyang Zhang Zhuowen as Lu Dayou Cheng Cheng as Lao Denuo Bao Wenjing as Yiyu Han Dong as Tian Boguang Sun Binhao as Xiang Wentian Lü Jiarong as Lan Fenghuang Xie Ning as Laotouzi Shen Baoping as Zu Qianqiu Zhang Tianyang as Ji Wushi Ye Qishan as Sima Da Marco Li as Yu Canghai Zhang Hengping as Fangzheng He Jiayi as Dingyi Hu Dong as Zuo Lengshan Li Ruichao as Yu Renhao Wang Renjun as Ping Yizhi Zhang Tianqi as Jia Renda Guo Dongdong as Gu Tong Wang Shuang as Bai Ying Zhang Jixuan as Heixiong Guan Xin as Baixiong Bai Hailong as Fangsheng Wei Ziqian as Shangguan Yun Wang Zheng as Lu Bai Shao Min as Dingjing Zhang Chunzhong as Mu Gaofeng He Xin as Luo Renjie Zhang Haoxiang as Mo Da Chang Sheng as Tianmen Zhou Shaodong as Wang Yuanba Zhao Junlong as Wang Bofen Guo Wei as Ding Mian Mo Meilin as Tong Baixiong Wang Kai as Feng Buping Liao Xi as Cheng Buyou Zhu Rongrong as Mi Weiyi Cao Nan as Fei Bin Gu Dechao as Adviser Yi Yin Jian as Ding Jian Zhang Keyan as Jia Bu Xiaoshuai as Liu Jin Tong Tong as Mute Granny Wang Zelin as Heibao Chai Ge as Zheng Zhang Lei as Shi Yang Yaotian as Yuqingzi Guo Qiang as Yujizi Wei Qianxiang as Sun Jiantong Miao Luoyi as Princess Consort Zhang Xueying as Lao Busi Liu Shuo as Qinghai Yixiao Pan Haichen as Hongye Gong Sile as Yue Su Shi Tianshuo as Cai Zifeng Zhuo Fan as Yilin's father Li Li as Yilin's mother Ju Lai as Lodge Master Qi Feng Jujing as Lodge Master Yi Kang Jie as Swordsman Wang Gang as Yue Buqun's master Yin Baoying as Beauty
Special appearances
Dicky Cheung as Lüzhuweng
Zhang Qian as Huahua
Qian Yongchen as Yu Renyan
Hai Lu as Yuniang
Huang Haibing as Dugu Qiubai
Zhou Muyin as Liu Zhengfeng's wife
Ren Quan as Danqingsheng
Bao Bei'er as Tubiweng
Wang Jianxin as Huang Zhonggong
Zhao Liang as Heibaizi
Kou Zhenhai as Lin Zhennan
Bai Shan as Lin Zhennan's wife
Huo Zhengyan as Liu Zhengfeng
Zong Fengyan as Qu Yang
Renaming of Shaolin Monastery to Lingjiu Monastery
In the series, Shaolin Monastery (or Shaolin School) is renamed Lingjiu Monastery (靈鷲寺; "Divine Eagle Monastery"). The change is believed to be because the producers wanted to avoid trademark infringement, since Shaolin Monastery has officially registered "Shaolin" as a trademark and has been involved in lawsuits with commercial companies over the use of "Shaolin" as a brand name or trademark.
Soundtrack
Reception
Prior to its original broadcast, Swordsman received popular attention for its teen idol cast in comparison with older adaptations of The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, and for major amendments made to the original story. Particular attention was shed on Joe Chen's casting as Dongfang Bubai, a minor antagonist in the novel whose role was substantially rewritten in this series to portray him/her as one of two female protagonists alongside Yuan Shanshan's character, Ren Yingying.