Kunlun Sect

This article is about the fictional martial arts sect in wuxia fiction. For the real-life martial arts traditions, see Kunlunquan.

The Kunlun Sect or Kunlun School is a fictional martial arts sect or school mentioned in several works of wuxia fiction. It is usually featured as a leading orthodox sect in the jianghu (martial artists' community). It is named after the Kunlun Mountains, where it is based.. Due to its geographical location, it was hardly known to martial artists in the jianghu before its rise to prominence.

Kunlun Sect
Traditional Chinese	崑崙派
Simplified Chinese	昆仑派
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Kūnlún Pài Yue: Cantonese Jyutping Kwan1-leon4 Paai3

History

The Kunlun Sect's history dates back to the Zhou dynasty. According to legend, its founders were Laozi and Yuanshi Tianzun. The latter had 12 apprentices, who became the Twelve Elders of Kunlun. Although the Kunlun Sect has its roots in Taoism, its members do not strictly follow Taoist customs and practices.

Kunlun's rise to prominence in the wulin (martial artists' community) only came after martial artists such as He Zudao made their names through their prowess in martial arts and by doing deeds of gallantry.^[1] He Zudao's successors led the sect towards greater heights and achieving its status in the wulin as one of the leading orthodox sects, particularly in western China.

Kunlun has a strict code of conduct laid down for its members, who are forbidden from associating with people from unorthodox sects or else they will be expelled. Although Kunlun is considered to be a Taoist sect just like the Quanzhen and Wudang sects, it accepts students of both genders, and members are allowed to marry and start families, and are not bound by any regulation to maintain vegetarian diets.

One notable trait of the sect is that it has a strong desire to become one of the superpowers in the wulin, and some members are especially extreme in their plans towards achieving this goal. In Jin Yong's The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber, He Zudao and He Taichong are depicted as ruthless and ambitious individuals who wish to dominate the wulin.^[1] He Taichong, in particular, is depicted as a morally bankrupt villain who resorts to unscrupulous means in his attempt to seize hold of the Dragon Slaying Saber and use it against his rivals.^[1]

See also

• Kunlun Mountains
• Kunlunquan