Definition
武林 (wǔ lín) is a culturally significant term in Chinese fiction and discourse, referring to the imagined community or 'world' of martial artists — equivalent to 'the martial arts world' in wuxia novels, films, and games. It includes the social networks, rivalries, codes of honor, and hidden masters that populate this subculture. You can use it concretely for real martial arts circles or metaphorically for competitive fields outside combat (e.g. the 'world of chess' treated like 武林).
n.
the martial arts worldthe community of martial artists (in Chinese culture and fiction)
Examples
- 武林。Zhè bù xiǎoshuō miáoxiě le yí gè xūgòu de wǔ lín shìjiè.This novel depicts a fictional martial arts world.
- 武林，。Tā zài wǔ lín zhōng dǎpīn le jǐ shí nián, zhōngyú chéngwéi yí dài zōngshī.He struggled in the martial arts world for decades and finally became a generation's grandmaster.
- 武林，。wǔ lín zhōng rén zuì zhòng yìqì, yì yán bù hé biàn bá dāo xiāng xiàng.People in the martial arts world value loyalty above all; a single disagreement can lead them to draw their swords.
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