Woon Swee Oan

Woon Swee Oan (born Woon Liang Giok in January 1954), also known as Wen Rui'an, is a Hong Kong-based Malaysian poet and writer of wuxia novels. Some of his best known works include '' Jingyan Yi Qiang'', '' Buyi Shenxiang'', and '' Si Da Ming Bu'', which have been adapted into television series '' The Four'' and '' Face to Fate'', and the film '' The Four'', among others.

Life

Woon was born in Bidor Town, Batang Padang District, Perak State, Malaya in 1954 in a Hakka family with ancestry from Mei County, Guangdong Province, China. In 1959, at a young age, he started reading from his family's collection of books and wrote his first short story. In 1961, he started attending primary school, and was accompanied by his elder sister because he was shy and afraid. However, soon after entering school, he became very active and outspoken in class, and was selected as the model student of the year in 1963. Throughout his years in primary to senior high school, Woon published articles in various magazines and defeated an opponent a year older than him in a debating competition when he was in secondary two. He also wrote a romantic novel titled ''Ouran'' (偶然; ''By Coincidence'').

Between 1971 and 1972, Woon studied psychoanalysis and aesthetics. During this time, he met Fang E'zhen (), who became his partner for 16 years. He also started writing for various Taiwanese magazines and published his debut wuxia novel in the Hong Kong magazine ''Wuxia Chunqiu'' (). In 1973, he established a poetry society and published his first novel in the series '' Si Da Ming Bu'' (四大名捕; ''The Four Great Constables''). At the end of the year, he travelled to Taiwan to further his studies at the National Taiwan University.

In 1976, Woon and Fang E'zhen established the Shenzhou Poetry Society () in Taiwan. However, not long later, they were accused of "promoting communism" by the Taiwanese government and detained for three months; the society was disbanded. They were sent back to Malaysia later, but were subsequently forced to move to Hong Kong due to the Malaysian government's strong stance against communism.

In 1981, after moving to Hong Kong, Woon published the wuxia novel series '' Shenzhou Qixia'' (神州奇俠; ''Hero of Shenzhou'') in the newspaper ''Ming Pao''. In the second half of 1983, ATV recruited Woon to be one of their writers. In the same year, Woon's works were published by Bok Yik (), a sub-company under TVB. His wuxia novels were later re-released by a Taiwanese publisher, Wansheng (). Woon's novel series '' Si Da Ming Bu'' and '' Buyi Shenxiang'' () were also adapted by ATV into television series.

In 1988, Taiwan's CTV released a television series based on Woon's novel series ''Si Da Ming Bu''. Woon also wrote wuxia serials in the Taiwanese newspapers ''China Times'' and ''United Daily News''. At the end of the year, Woon started his own magazine company in Hong Kong to promote his "new school" of wuxia stories. From 1990 to 1998, Woon ventured into the mainland Chinese market and spent most of his time in China. His most recent works such as ''Da Laohu'' (), ''Bu Laoshu'' () and ''Yuanhou Yue'' () were published by Crown House Publishing () in Hong Kong.

List of works

* '' Si Da Ming Bu'' series ()
** ''Si Da Ming Bu Hui Jingshi'' ()
** ''Si Da Ming Bu Da Duijue'' ()
** ''Si Da Ming Bu Chao Xin Pai'' ()
** ''Si Da Ming Bu Da Laohu'' ()
** ''Si Da Ming Bu Zhen Guandong'' ()
** ''Si Da Ming Bu Zhan Tianwang'' ()
** ''Nishui Han'' ()
* '' Buyi Shenxiang'' series ()
** ''Sharen De Xintiao'' ()
** ''Yemengse'' ()
** ''Tianwei'' ()
** ''Laiyao'er'' ()
** ''Luohua Jianying'' ()
** ''Daoba Ji'' ()
* '' Shenzhou Qixia'' series ()
** ''Shenzhou Qixia'' ()
*** ''Jianqi Changjiang'' ()
*** ''Liangguang Haojie'' ()
*** ''Jiangshan Ruhua'' ()
*** ''Yingxiong Haohan'' ()
*** ''Chuangdang Jianghu'' ()
*** ''Shenzhou Wudi'' ()
*** ''Jimo Gaoshou'' ()
*** ''Tianxia Youxue'' ()
** ''Xuehe Che'' ()
*** ''Da Zongshi'' ()
*** ''Xiaoyao You'' ()
*** ''Yangsheng Zhu'' ()
*** ''Ren Shijian'' ()
** ''Daxia Chuanqi'' ()
** ''Tangfang Yizhan'' ()
* ''Shuo Yingxiong, Shei Shi Yingxiong'' series ()
** ''Wenrou De Dao'' ()
** ''Yinu Bajian'' ()
** ''Jingyan Yi Qiang'' ()
** ''Shangxin Xiaojian'' ()
** ''Chaotian Yigun'' ()
** ''Qunlong Zhi Shou'' ()
** ''Tianxia Youdi'' ()
** ''Tianxia Wudi'' ()
** ''Tianxia Diyi'' ()
** ''Tiandi'' ()
* ''Xiandai'' series ()
** ''Sha Le Ni Hao Ma?'' ()
** ''Qing Jie Furen Yiyong'' ()
** ''Qing Ni Dongshou Wan Yidian'' ()
** ''Zhanseng Yu He Ping'' ()
** ''Da Bu Liang De Dahuoji'' ()
** ''Sharen Zhe Tang Zhan'' ()
** ''Zao Hen'' ()

* ''Dao'' ()
* ''Zha'' ()
* ''Rufang'' ()
* ''Shaqin'' ()
* ''Jieju'' ()
* ''Duanliao'' ()
* ''Liaoduan'' ()
* ''Jidao'' ()
* ''Da Cisha'' ()
* ''Xijiang Yue'' ()
* ''Xue Zai Shao'' ()
* ''Nü Shenbu'' ()
* ''Mishen Yin'' ()
* ''Luoye Xinya'' ()
* ''Tanzhi Xiangsi'' ()
* ''Shashou Shanzai'' ()
* ''Renxing Lian'ou'' ()
* ''Mashang Shangma'' ()
* ''Zhulian De Suiyue'' ()
* ''Shashou De Cibei'' ()
* ''Wanshang De Xiaoshi'' ()
* ''Aoman Yu Pian Jian'' ()
* ''Aishang Ta De Heshang'' ()
* ''Aishang Heshang De Ta'' ()
* ''Juedui Buyao Rewo'' ()
* ''Laoge, Jietou Yiyong'' ()
* ''Qing, Qingqing, Qingqingqing'' ()
* ''Pengyou, Ni Si Guo Wei?'' ()
* ''Xihuan Yanse De Mentu'' ()
* ''Shiqu Shetou Le Ma?'' ()
* ''Sha Chu'' ()
* ''Qi Sha'' ()
* ''Jin Xue'' ()
* ''Xia Shao'' ()
* ''Daming Wang'' ()
* ''Jinxiu Renpi'' ()
* ''Jianghu Xianhua'' ()
* ''Tunhuo Qinghuai'' ()
* ''Luanshi Qinghuai'' ()
* ''Luori Daqi'' ()
* ''Jiangjun De Jianfa'' ()
* ''Daocong Li De Shi'' ()
* ''Qi Da Kou'' series ()
* ''Jin Zhi Xiazhe'' series ()
* ''Hongdian Lanya'' series ()
* ''Baiyi Fang Zhen Mei'' series ()

Adaptations

*Return of the Bastard Swordsman (1984)
*The Undercover Agents (ATV, 1984)
*The Assassin (1993)
*Four Marshals (2003)
*Treacherous Waters (2004)
*Musketeer and Princess (2004)
*The Four Detective Guards (2004)
* Strike at Heart (2005)
*Face to Fate (2006)
*The Four (TVB, 2008)
* The Four (film) Trilogy (2012-2014)
* The Four (2015) (Hunan TV, 2015)
*Heroes (2021)
*Ni Shui Han (TBA)

External links

Wen Ruian

Wuxiasociety.com
– An English Wuxia Portal, focus on discussion forum, the most complete list of Woon Swee Oan's novels in English (work in progress).
*

1954 births
Living people

{{DEFAULTSORT:Woon, Swee Oan
Hong Kong novelists
Hakka writers
Hong Kong people of Hakka descent
People from Meixian District
Malaysian emigrants to Hong Kong
Malaysian people of Hakka descent
Malaysian novelists
National Taiwan University alumni
Wuxia writers
People from Perak