Jin Yong captivated with epic wuxia tales of love and courage
Martial arts heroes and villains by Jin Yong inspiring a new generation
Zhang Wuji, The protagonist of The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber, Stainless steel, Ren Zhe
Jin Yong the pen name of Dr Louis Cha Leung-yung
In celebration of the centennial of Hong Kong’s most famous writer’s birth, the government commissioned artist Ren Zhe to sculpt thirty-two of Jin Yong characters for display around various venues in the city. The exhibition is titled: A Path to Glory – Jin Yong’s Centennial Memorial.
Huang Yaoshi, An important character in The Eagle-shooting Heroes and in the Giant Eagle and its Companion, Bronze, 2021-2024, Ren Zhe
“The Year is 1205. For decades, the Song Empire has been fighting an invasion from the north by the Jurchen tribes of Manchuria.”
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So begins The Giant Eagle and its Companion, an epic story that is part of the collective memory of hundreds of millions of Chinese-speaking people from Hong Kong, China and the rest of the global Chinese diaspora.
Guo Jing (Senior), The male protagonist in The Eagle-shooting Heroes and an important character from The Giant Eagle and its Companion, Bronze, 2021-2024, Ren Zhe
Yet, the stories and characters, created by Jin Yong are unknown to those outside the Chinese community.
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This exhibition connects with the people who love Jin Yong’s stories and will introduce a new generation to these works. An elegant translation of the epic has recently been published in English under the title of Legends of the Condor Heroes.
Yideng (Duan Zhixing), An important character in The Eagle-shooting Heroes and The Giant Eagle and its Companion, Bronze, 2021-2024, Ren Zhe
Jin Yong, is the pen name of Dr Louis Cha Leung-yung (1924-2018), who was one of the most widely-read 20th-century writers in the Chinese language.
Xiao Feng, One of the three male protagonists in The Demi-Gods and the Semi-Devils, Bronze, 2021-2024, Ren Zhe
He was born into a prominent family in the coastal province of Zhejiang and was well-educated. When Japan invaded China during the Second World War, Louis Cha’s family was displaced, and his mother died while fleeing the Japanese.
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He planned to be a diplomat, but by the time he graduated from Soochow University’s law school in 1948, it was apparent the Communists would not welcome him.
Xiaolongnu & Yang Guo, The protagonists in The Giant Eagle and its Companion, Bronze, 2021-2024, Ren Zhe
He began working as a journalist for a newspaper in Shanghai. Later that year, he moved with the newspaper to Hong Kong. The following year, his father was executed for being a counterrevolutionary.
Louis Cha worked as a journalist and wrote books
Louis Cha continued working as a journalist in Hong Kong and began writing his novels. By 1959, with money earned from his books, he co-founded the Ming Pao newspaper and served as the first editor-in-chief.
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In the early years, he published serialised versions of his novels in a fiction supplement, which helped create demand for the newspaper. Between 1955 and 1972, Jin Yong wrote fifteen books.
Yang Guo, The one armed swordsman in The Giant Eagle and its Companion, Stainless steel, 2021-2024, Ren Zhe
In 1981, with China opening up, Louis Cha met Deng Xiaoping, the new leader after Mao. Deng surprised everyone by admitting he was a big fan of Jin Yong’s novels.
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Shortly after, China lifted the ban on his books. In 1985, Louis Cha was appointed to the political committee drafting Hong Kong’s Basic Law.
Wanyan Honglie, An antagonist in The Eagle-shooting Heroes, Stainless steel, 2021-2024, Ren Zhe
Louis Cha passed away in 2018, at 94, having led a long life and significantly impacted journalism and the structure of government in Hong Kong.
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His legacy will be the stories that continue to engage people in print, films, TV series, comics and video games.
National identity reinforced with values of love, courage and honour
These stories have unified the collective memory of Chinese people worldwide, encouraging them to feel proud of their national identity and reinforcing values like love, courage, skill, loyalty and honour.
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The quality of Jin Yong’s writing and the success of his books legitimised a genre known as wuxia, which blends fantasy, history and action around the adventures of martial arts heroes.
Ren Woxing, An important character in The Smiling, Proud Wanderer. Bronze, 2021-2024, Ren Zhe
These heroes love well, are courageous, skilled and loyal to their friends and country. The villains are not. Magic and mythical creatures frequently intervene.
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Jin Yong infused his stories with Confucian, Buddhist and Taoist ideas. He positioned martial arts as an integral part of Chinese culture, on par with traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture and calligraphy.
Left: Linghu Chong, the male protagonist, Right: Ren Yingying, the female protagonist in The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, Stainless Steel, 2021-2024, Ren Zhe
With their captivating blend of history, philosophy, action and adventure, Jin Yong’s books have been successful from day one.
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For the benefit of the uninitiated, the lead character in The Giant Eagle and its Companion goes by the name of Guo Jing, who, when introduced, is a simple and honest orphan boy raised on the Mongolian steppe and mentored in martial arts by none other than Genghis Khan.
Left: Huang Rong, the female protagonist and Right: Guo Jing, the male protagonist, in The Eagle-shooting Heroes and important characters in the Giant Eagle and its Companion, Bronze, 2021 -2024, Ren Zhe
Guo Jing’s love interest is Huang Rong, a street-smart urchin, kung fu expert and master chief whose intellect helps them survive.
Dongfang Bubai, An important character in The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, Bronze, 2021-2024, Ren Zhe
The story is set at a pivotal moment in Chinese history when the Mongols defeated the Song dynasty, establishing the Yuan dynasty.
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Contemporary sculptor Ren Zhe (b1983) specialises in depicting stoic warriors, drawing inspiration from China’s rich history and mythology.
Genghis Khan, an important character from The Eagle-shooting Heroes, Bronze, 2021-2024, Ren Zhe
He graduated with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Sculpture from Tsinghua University’s Academy of Fine Arts. He sculpts in clay and casts using concrete, stainless steel and bronze.
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Like Jin Yong, he became successful at a young age. Two of his works, Noble Tranquility (2012) and Above the Clouds (2017), were purchased and positioned at IFC Mall and Exchange Square, respectively.
The White-browed Eagle King Yin Tianzheng, A character in The Heaven Sword and the Dragon Sabre, Stainless steel, 2021-2024, Ren Zhe
Ren Zhe was the obvious choice for this commission. His work effectively captures the characters’ mental states through exaggerated size, poses and expressions, which are enhanced by the play of light and shadow on surfaces, especially those cast in highly polished stainless steel.
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Visiting the venues with the displays of the sculptures, I was surprised by the array of young and middle-aged people posing for selfies in front of their favourite characters.
The Green-winged Bat King from The Heaven Sword and the Dragon Sabre, Bronze, 2021-2024, Ren Zhe
Jin Yong’s legacy extends far beyond the pages of his books. He created a wuxia world that not only entertained but also instilled values of loyalty, courage and national pride in generations of Chinese readers.
Wuxia timeless stories and characters continue to inspire
The recent translation of his works and the Ren Zhe sculpture exhibition mark a new chapter, introducing his timeless stories to a broader audience and ensuring his characters continue to inspire for years to come.
Text Martin Wray / Photos Cammy Yiu & Martin Wray
