In 1949, many mainland film-makers moved to Hong Kong. Not only did they bring with them the swordsmen legends, even more importantly, they tapped into the pool of southern martial arts heroes in Cantonese-language films, such as the Guangdong folk hero Huang Feihong. Thus, in addition to the mysterious world of the high-flying swordsmen, hand-to-hand kungfu fighters began to be portrayed in films in the late 1950s.
民國三十八年後，大陸電影工作者來到香港，他們一方面繼承神怪武俠的傳統；更重要的是，粵語片開發出南方武林人物，如廣東民間英雄黃飛鴻，使得掌風劍影的奇幻世界外，拳腳功夫片竟在五○年代末期闢出蹊徑。