Prelimary Notes on Place in Wuxia

So recently I have been exploring wuxia, including watching some older movies. I always enjoy thinking about how fiction engages with space. Wuxia seems to have a very well defined vocabulary of spaces, which I’m enjoying a lot. Here’s a couple of things that I’ve noticed so far:

Rooftops Rooftops scenes generally take place at night. They give the sense of the characters being isolated above the world. Rooftops are great for showing off the long flowing jumps that are common in wuxia, so they are a fun place for fights and chases. But also for moon gazing. I’ve noticed that wuxia roofs are frequently just one layer of tile making it easy for characters to make holes for spying or jumping through the roof.

Restaurants Restaurants in wuxia tend to be multi-leveled with one level that looks down on another. Restaurants are often the site of planned and unplanned meetings. Characters frequently enjoy sharing food. But also restaurant fights are a classic trope of the genre! They are visually engaging, and often involve non-weapons being used as weapons.

Urban Waterways I’ve noticed that urban spaces in wuxia frequently have rivers and canals, generally with pretty arched bridges over them. These can be fun for fight scenes or just pretty to look at.

Market stalls/crowded streets In a couple of movies I watched a character had their own little market stall or shop, and these are very visually appealing to me. I also enjoy the frequent scenes of busy streets lined with stalls. It creates a sense of lively urban environment.

These are just some very preliminary observations. I’m excited to watch more wuxia and think more about how the genre uses space. I’d also love to read more about this topic. Does anyone have recommendations for further reading? Or for wuxia media that does interesting things with space?