<p>The term 一點紅 you are referring to is an assassin/ swordsman called '<a href="https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E4%B8%AD%E5%8E%9F%E4%B8%80%E7%82%B9%E7%BA%A2/32385" rel="nofollow noreferrer">中原一點紅</a>' in a Chinese Martial art novel 《楚留香》 by 古龍.</p>
<p>His signature move is a sword-thrust so precise that it only leaves behind a tiny wound, looks like a red dot on his opponent's forehead.</p>
<p>We don't know his true name. He was only known as '中原一點紅' in the novel</p>
<p>It is fictional, not a real martial art term</p>
<p>Notices:</p>
<ul>
<li>In general, 一點紅 means 'the only female among a group of males'. It came from the Chinese expression '<a href="https://idiom.wlps.kl.edu.tw/35698" rel="nofollow noreferrer">萬綠叢中一點紅</a>' (a single red dot in a greenfield). Example: &quot;麗莎是我們出版社的一點紅&quot; means &quot;Lisa is the one red dot (only female member) in our publishing house&quot;</li>
</ul>
<p>And 萬綠叢中一點紅 came from the poem 《<a href="https://zhidao.baidu.com/question/1795710214251265667.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">咏石榴花</a>》. (a poem about pomegranate flower) by 王安石（1021-12-18 ～ 1086-5-21）</p>
<blockquote>
<p>今朝五月正清和，榴花詩句入禪那。</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>濃綠萬枝<strong>紅一點</strong>，動人春色不須多。</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p><em>紅一點 refers to a single pomegranate flower among trees full of green leaves, a sign of early spring.</em></p>
</blockquote>
<ul>
<li>一點紅 is also the name of a <a href="https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E4%B8%80%E7%82%B9%E7%BA%A2/16175201" rel="nofollow noreferrer">plant</a> that is used in traditional Chinese medicine</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-12T03:24:09.103Z
Thanks you for this answer!  Can I ask, are we sure this is a purely modern invention, or could it have had some basis in prior folklore & mythology?  (I only ask because it was first related to me by a student of a student of 李景林).
DukeZhou
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-12T05:42:43.613Z
The original poem 濃綠萬枝紅一點 appeared before 1086.
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-14T02:10:22.637Z
Thank you so much—you're my new hero!!!  (Also makes sense that it is associated with women in traditionally male roles, in that Nüxia juxtaposes the "sword and the needle", where swordswomen were understood to be unskilled at the domestic ideal of sewing.)
DukeZhou
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-12T01:20:30.960Z
2020-11-12T05:45:30.150Z
2020-11-12T05:45:30.150Z
Tang Ho
<p>I have this only via oral tradition, but wanted to ask about it here b/c I assume this is where the Chinese scholars are.</p>
<ul>
<li>Where does this phrase appear in the Chinese literary tradition, what are the range of possible translations, and hidden meanings that would be lost in translation?</li>
</ul>
<p>(For background, &quot;single drop of red&quot; is an ideal of Chinese swordplay, whereby the knight errant dispatches an opponent with a single thrust of the minimum necessary depth, leaving only a small wound, presumable with little bleeding.)</p>

<idioms>
"Single drop of red" (Wuxia)
# "Single drop of red" (Wuxia)

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-11-12)

I have this only via oral tradition, but wanted to ask about it here b/c I assume this is where the Chinese scholars are.

* Where does this phrase appear in the Chinese literary tradition, what are the range of possible translations, and hidden meanings that would be lost in translation?

(For background, "single drop of red" is an ideal of Chinese swordplay, whereby the knight errant dispatches an opponent with a single thrust of the minimum necessary depth, leaving only a small wound, presumable with little bleeding.)

**Tags:** idioms


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-11-12. Score: 2

The term 一點紅 you are referring to is an assassin/ swordsman called '[中原一點紅](https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E4%B8%AD%E5%8E%9F%E4%B8%80%E7%82%B9%E7%BA%A2/32385)' in a Chinese Martial art novel 《楚留香》 by 古龍.

His signature move is a sword-thrust so precise that it only leaves behind a tiny wound, looks like a red dot on his opponent's forehead.

We don't know his true name. He was only known as '中原一點紅' in the novel

It is fictional, not a real martial art term

Notices:

* In general, 一點紅 means 'the only female among a group of males'. It came from the Chinese expression '[萬綠叢中一點紅](https://idiom.wlps.kl.edu.tw/35698)' (a single red dot in a greenfield). Example: "麗莎是我們出版社的一點紅" means "Lisa is the one red dot (only female member) in our publishing house"

And 萬綠叢中一點紅 came from the poem 《[咏石榴花](https://zhidao.baidu.com/question/1795710214251265667.html)》. (a poem about pomegranate flower) by 王安石（1021-12-18 ～ 1086-5-21）

> 今朝五月正清和，榴花詩句入禪那。

> 濃綠萬枝**紅一點**，動人春色不須多。

> *紅一點 refers to a single pomegranate flower among trees full of green leaves, a sign of early spring.*

* 一點紅 is also the name of a [plant](https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E4%B8%80%E7%82%B9%E7%BA%A2/16175201) that is used in traditional Chinese medicine

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thanks you for this answer!  Can I ask, are we sure this is a purely modern invention, or could it have had some basis in prior folklore & mythology?  (I only ask because it was first related to me by a student of a student of 李景林).  
> **username_1**: The original poem 濃綠萬枝紅一點 appeared before 1086.  
> **username_0**: Thank you so much—you're my new hero!!!  (Also makes sense that it is associated with women in traditionally male roles, in that Nüxia juxtaposes the "sword and the needle", where swordswomen were understood to be unskilled at the domestic ideal of sewing.)  

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