Glossary
The donghua and cultivation glossary
Xianxia, Golden Core, nianfan, danmei: the world of donghua has its own vocabulary. Here are the most common terms, with their Chinese spelling and a series to discover them in.
Genres and story types
- Donghua动画
- The Chinese word for "animation". Outside China it refers to Chinese animation, just as "anime" refers to Japanese animation.
- Manhua漫画
- Chinese comics, now mostly published online in full-colour vertical format. Many donghua are adapted from them.
- Web novel网络小说
- A novel published chapter by chapter on an online platform such as Qidian or Jinjiang. These stories, often over a thousand chapters long, are the main source of donghua.
- Xianxia仙侠
- "Immortal heroes": stories in which characters cultivate their energy to become immortal, in a world of sects, treasures and heavenly tribulations. See it in Renegade Immortal
- Wuxia武侠
- "Martial heroes": stories of martial arts and chivalry in ancient China, in which the heroes remain human. See it in Qin's Moon
- Xuanhuan玄幻
- "Mysterious fantasy": Chinese fantasy freer than xianxia, mixing cultivation, magic, imaginary continents and sometimes science fiction. See it in Perfect World
- Danmei耽美
- Romance between men in Chinese fiction. Donghua and drama adaptations often suggest it rather than show it, because of censorship. See it in Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation
- Rebirth (chongsheng)重生
- A story in which the hero returns to his own past with memories of his future life and uses them to change his fate. See it in Tales of Demons and Gods
- Transmigration (chuanyue)穿越
- A story in which a present-day character wakes up in another world or era, often in someone else's body. See it in Release That Witch
- Spiritual energy revival灵气复苏
- A subgenre in which spiritual energy reappears in the modern world, transforming animals, plants and humans. See it in The Sacred Ruins
Cultivation and powers
- Cultivation (xiulian)修炼
- The practice of accumulating and refining spiritual energy to gain power and longevity. It drives most donghua.
- Qi气 / 炁
- The vital energy flowing through the body and the world. Some works, like The Outcast, use the old character 炁 taken from Taoist texts. See it in The Outcast
- Dantian丹田
- The "elixir field", an energy reservoir in the lower abdomen where the cultivator gathers qi.
- Spiritual root (linggen)灵根
- A person's innate talent for cultivation. A mediocre root, like Han Li's, makes every step forward difficult. See it in A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality
- Foundation Establishment (zhuji)筑基
- One of the first major cultivation stages, marking the shift from mere disciple to true cultivator.
- Golden Core (jindan)金丹
- The stage at which energy condenses into a solid core in the dantian. Reaching Golden Core greatly extends one's lifespan. See it in The Daily Life of the Immortal King
- Nascent Soul (yuanying)元婴
- A higher stage at which the core gives birth to a small soul able to survive the destruction of the body.
- Heavenly tribulation (dujie)渡劫
- A lightning ordeal sent by Heaven when a cultivator crosses a major threshold. Those who fail are reduced to ashes.
- Sect (zongmen)宗门
- A school of cultivation or martial arts, with its masters, disciples and rivalries. Sect life is the setting of many donghua. See it in Jade Dynasty
- Magic artefact (fabao)法宝
- A weapon or object refined by a cultivator, such as a flying sword or a seal, which grows stronger with its master.
- Alchemy (liandan)炼丹
- The art of refining pills from spirit herbs to heal or speed up cultivation. Xiao Yan in Battle Through the Heavens is a master of it. See it in Battle Through the Heavens
- Martial soul (wuhun)武魂
- In Soul Land, the power that awakens in every child at age six: an animal, plant or object that determines their path as a fighter. See it in Soul Land
- Soul ring (hunhuan)魂环
- In Soul Land, a ring obtained by killing a soul beast, granting a new technique. Its colour shows the beast's age. See it in Soul Land
- Yaoguai妖怪
- Creatures, spirits and demons of Chinese folklore, often animals or plants that have gained awareness over the centuries. See it in Fairies Album
Broadcasting and fan culture
- Nianfan (年番)年番
- "Year-round season": a series aired weekly for a whole year with no break between seasons. The format has become standard for major 3D donghua. See it in Renegade Immortal
- Film (juchangban)剧场版
- A feature film based on a series, released in cinemas or exclusively on a platform, often between two seasons. See it in Shrouding the Heavens
- Q version (Q版)Q版
- A comedy mini-series in which the characters are drawn in miniature, alongside the main series.
- Dongtaiman动态漫
- Motion comic: a manhua set in motion with voices and music, cheaper to produce than a true animated series.
- Broken engagement story退婚流
- A trope popularised by Battle Through the Heavens: the humiliated hero sees his fiancée break off their engagement and vows revenge. See it in Battle Through the Heavens
- Mortal story (fanren liu)凡人流
- A subgenre born from A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality: a hero with no special talent rises through caution and cunning. See it in A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality