Peach Blossom Formation: Fact or Fiction?

[rabadi]

In LOCH and ROCH HYS's Peach Blossom Formation seemed quite confusing and formidable. We see people like GJ and MNC trapped in the formation. We see Ying Gu trying hard to come up with a solution of the formation. We see HR using stones with YG's help to defend themselves against the Golden Wheel Monk, etc. Was this formation fact or fiction? Of course it was fiction in a way, but was there some truth that such a formation could exist? I know the adaptations may give us a strange impression, seeing how those peach trees moved around and such, or how the stones moved around in ROCH. In the novel, did these objects move?

[dgfds01]

Well, the formation was based on Zhuge Liang's rock formation. So the question then is - is ZGL's formation fact or fiction? I think there was a formation, but one without all the weird mists and stuff. More like a maze.

Perhaps the history and ROTK buffs can help out here?

[PJ]

Anyone have an answer to the original questions?

[kyss of the sword]

formations like those do indeed exist, but in large scale and used in directing troops in battle. not only in chinese history and myth but in indian history also. in the epic mahabaratam, the hero ahbinayran loses his life after breaking into the changing circular formation of the karuvaras when his allies are unable to follow him into it. the persians and greeks/romans also used battle formations. wuxia took those formations and made smaller and more magical for the story.

[Huang Rong]

In the novel, did these objects move?

i think they moved in the observations of the outsiders. but in the eyes of the people inside, they were motionless.

[MrIllusion]

Well, the formation was based on Zhuge Liang's rock formation. So the question then is - is ZGL's formation fact or fiction? I think there was a formation, but one without all the weird mists and stuff. More like a maze.

Perhaps the history and ROTK buffs can help out here?

Zhuge Liang's formation is indeed real. It's called Ba Zhen Tu [八阵图]. There are a number of articles describing this concept. I came across one that claims it has roots even before Zhuge Liang.

According to that article, this art was lost after Tang Dynasty. But 3 sites where he used large stones to set up the formations with were left behind.

There are quite a few technical details related to this art, but Jin Yong probably just focused on the more mystical aspects as related in wiki.

EDIT: The Ba Zhen Tu only applies to the rock formations HR used against GWM. The other formations seen throughout the trilogy might be based on other concepts.

[navicappjr]

so.....peach blossom island formation is possible?

[jiang bao]

I imagine it's just making everything look uniform or non-distinct and make it difficult to have a sense of direction, so it's hard to tell where you're going or where you've been so you end up "going in circles."

I thought LOCH03 portrayal of the little plants moving around was a really ridiculous portrayal (I think in ROCH06 the rock formation portrayal was bad too), but I guess it would kinda look anti-climatic if characters are confused by stationary things.

[flamer]

One interesting question would be, why can't one just burn down the formation.

[Ren Ying Ying]

One interesting question would be, why can't one just burn down the formation.

HYS genetically altered the trees to be fire resistent. Didn't you know? He was a geneticist and biochemist, too!

[yittz]

One interesting question would be, why can't one just burn down the formation.

OYF did burn down the formation of Lu Manor in LOCH.

Try doing that with HYS there is a different story. Also once you are trapped, it's probably not a good idea to burn it down while you are still inside.

GLFW did try to break it apart by throwing the rocks into the air, but he forgot what goes up must come down too.

Not sure why OYF didn't burn it with YK when they killed GJ's sifu, probably wanted to frame HYS.

[flamer]

Yea I realise that HYS' version is better than Lu's. It should be much harder.. somehow to burn his formation. I dunno, maybe the burning trees will float towards the attacker, or appear to be floating towards.

[sniffles]

I tend to think of the Peach Blossom Island formation as a maze: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maze

If you build a maze that blocks line of sight, it's pretty easy to get people confused. It has always seemed odd to me that even by climbing a tree Guo Jing couldn't find a way out of the formation. But then GJ wasn't a quick thinker, so maybe that's understandable.

It's too bad that the recent tv versions of LOCH and ROCH have turned the formations into some kind of weird magical device of moving rocks and trees. I know building a maze for a tv series would be prohibitively expenseive, though. I don't know what the tv producers could have done to make that convincing.

[yittz]

I tend to think of the Peach Blossom Island formation as a maze: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maze

If you build a maze that blocks line of sight, it's pretty easy to get people confused. It has always seemed odd to me that even by climbing a tree Guo Jing couldn't find a way out of the formation. But then GJ wasn't a quick thinker, so maybe that's understandable.

It's too bad that the recent tv versions of LOCH and ROCH have turned the formations into some kind of weird magical device of moving rocks and trees. I know building a maze for a tv series would be prohibitively expenseive, though. I don't know what the tv producers could have done to make that convincing.

I doubt someone smarter than GJ could figure out the changes just by climbing up the tree. That's why OYK wanted the the teachings when he lost to GJ. Even YG could only grasp 1/3 of the 36 changes in HR's makeshift formation to fight GLFW.

I have no idea how it works either, but in ROCH the formation does keep changing. While YG was occupying JLFW, HR was leading the GF + 2 brothers to change the rock formation. YG could negotiate it by changing his steps, but GLFW keep triping and bumping into things. What surprise me is that I imagine the "Yan Shi' to be quite large, yet GF can move it easily, but at the same time such a rock can knock out GLFW on its way down.