https://www.scmp.com/rss/329145/feed Hong Kong martial arts novelist Louis Cha Leung-yung, the world’s most popular Chinese writer, died on October 30, 2018, after a long illness. He was 94. In 1955, he published his first martial arts novel, The Book and the Sword, in the New Evening Post, under the pen name Jin Yong. It was an instant success and he went on to write 14 hugely popular martial arts novels, ending with The Deer and the Cauldron in 1972. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Lisa Cam Lisa Cam This is the 70th instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. For many of her admirers, the defining image of Athena Chu Yan remains a single, fleeting moment from 1995. As the Zixia Fairy in the two-part film A Chinese Odyssey, she gazes at the Monkey King (Stephen Chow Sing-chi) and delivers a wink – playful, radiant and hopeful. That split second transformed Chu into not just an icon of Hong Kong cinema but also one of its most popular “sexy... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3343404/how-hong-kong-actress-athena-chu-escaped-sex-symbol-trap-after-chinese-odyssey-fame?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3343404/how-hong-kong-actress-athena-chu-escaped-sex-symbol-trap-after-chinese-odyssey-fame?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 09:15:09 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak This is the 67th instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. From growing up impoverished in a village in Huizhou, in east-central Guangdong province, to sending his son to an elite international school in Shanghai, the life of actor and singer Jordan Chan Siu-chun has been a roller coaster defined by extreme reinvention. Today, at 58, he has crafted a new image as a stellar husband and father, living in mainland China with a wife 16 years his... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3338135/how-actor-singer-jordan-chan-went-hong-kong-bad-boy-patriotic-family-man-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3338135/how-actor-singer-jordan-chan-went-hong-kong-bad-boy-patriotic-family-man-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Jan 2026 23:15:08 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu A massive fireworks display put on by Chinese artist Cai Guo-qiang and the outdoor brand Arc’teryx at the foot of the Himalayas has sparked public outrage. “The rising dragon” art event was launched on September 19, at about 5,500 metres above sea level. The display saw fireworks erupt four times for 52 seconds in total, using 1,050 clusters of fireworks. Witnesses said the display twirled around the mountain and generated disturbing sounds and smells. As local government officials began an... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3326698/what-dragon-vein-and-why-china-artist-and-top-brand-chided-over-himalayas-fireworks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3326698/what-dragon-vein-and-why-china-artist-and-top-brand-chided-over-himalayas-fireworks?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Oct 2025 01:00:08 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Ann Hui On-wah is rightly praised for her realistic films about social issues and Hong Kong society. But the acclaimed director has made films in many genres during her career. Here we look at her once-lost martial arts masterpiece and a ghostly horror film. The Romance of Book and Sword / Princess Fragrance (both 1987) This epic three-hour wuxia film, released in two parts, is still one of Hui’s most ambitious projects to date. Shot in the deserts of Xinjiang and the Jiangnan region in mainland... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3321929/why-director-ann-huis-rare-spins-martial-arts-and-horror-film-genres-were-special?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3321929/why-director-ann-huis-rare-spins-martial-arts-and-horror-film-genres-were-special?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 Aug 2025 04:15:08 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Artificial intelligence and video gaming company CreateAI is looking to develop China’s next blockbuster AAA title on the back of its global rights to the works of acclaimed Hong Kong martial arts novelist Louis Cha Leung-yung, also known as “Jin Yong”. CreateAI, formerly known as the autonomous vehicle firm TuSimple, aims to make Heroes of Jin Yong “one of the largest-scale triple-A, open-world role-playing games (RPGs)” in the market, president and CEO Lu Cheng told the South China Morning... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3321304/hong-kong-author-louis-chas-novels-form-basis-chinas-next-aaa-video-game?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3321304/hong-kong-author-louis-chas-novels-form-basis-chinas-next-aaa-video-game?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Aug 2025 02:00:12 +0000 Mabel Lui Mabel Lui This is the 55th instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. An enduring name in Hong Kong’s entertainment industry, Adam Cheng Siu-chau has been a prominent actor and singer for the past five decades. Beginning his career in the 1960s, he went on to make a name for himself as a suave leading man, particularly in wuxia period dramas. Among his most popular television shows are The Legend of the Book and the Sword (1976), The Heaven Sword and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3318715/how-hong-kong-star-adam-cheng-went-tv-heartthrob-stock-market-jinx?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3318715/how-hong-kong-star-adam-cheng-went-tv-heartthrob-stock-market-jinx?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Jul 2025 09:17:23 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification Hong Kong celebrated the 28th anniversary of its return to Chinese rule on Tuesday. The government has made progress in some areas: Support for innovation and technology, local businesses and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3316472/hong-kongs-complex-social-problems-demand-transparent-and-collective-effort?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3316472/hong-kongs-complex-social-problems-demand-transparent-and-collective-effort?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Jul 2025 03:30:09 +0000 This is the 48th instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. Few actresses embody the cultural zeitgeist of 1990s Hong Kong quite like Carman Lee Yeuk-tung. Her portrayal of Little Dragon Maiden, or Xiaolongnü, in the 1995 TVB drama series The Condor Heroes 95 defined a generation’s ideal of femininity in the wuxia fantasy world created by martial arts novelist Louis Cha Leung-yung, better known as Jin Yong. Her portrayal of the ethereal,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3306166/how-hong-kong-actress-carman-lee-found-fame-condor-heroes-tv-then-gave-it-all?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3306166/how-hong-kong-actress-carman-lee-found-fame-condor-heroes-tv-then-gave-it-all?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Apr 2025 10:15:08 +0000 Adapting a novel for the big screen is always a challenge. This is especially true of books by martial arts novelist Louis Cha Leung-yung, better known as Jin Yong. Cha’s multifaceted, multi-volume works, first serialised in newspapers including Ming Pao, are not only extremely long but have complicated plots involving many characters, scenarios and locations. This is why his books have often been considered more suitable for television adaptations – of which there are numerous examples in Hong... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3304260/how-legend-condor-heroes-inspired-hong-kong-film-directors-brave-archer-trilogy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3304260/how-legend-condor-heroes-inspired-hong-kong-film-directors-brave-archer-trilogy?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Mar 2025 03:15:08 +0000 From ancient Shaolin techniques to iconic movie stars like Bruce Lee, delve into the history, philosophy, and cinematic impact of kung fu with our martial arts series. Standing in his “18 dragon subduing palms” stance, a large sculpture of Guo Jing – one of the best-known protagonists in Chinese wuxia martial arts fiction – has welcomed new arrivals at Hong Kong International Airport since March. The 3.5-metre-tall (11-foot) statue commemorates 100 years since the birth of the character’s... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3269587/how-jin-yong-and-liang-yusheng-became-legends-wuxia-martial-arts-novels?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3269587/how-jin-yong-and-liang-yusheng-became-legends-wuxia-martial-arts-novels?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Jul 2024 23:15:09 +0000 China’s top leaders are set to hold a long-delayed pivotal meeting soon, and are expected to discuss a new growth model and offer a clearer path for the world’s second-largest economy. But clarity is very hard to detect even with the meeting, widely called a plenum, just a few weeks away. Optimists and pessimists are talking past one another as to what can be expected of the enclave, which could have far-reaching repercussions for the rest of the world. State media have played up China’s... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3268344/boost-investor-enthusiasm-china-start-hong-kong-tycoons?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3268344/boost-investor-enthusiasm-china-start-hong-kong-tycoons?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Jun 2024 21:30:09 +0000 From ancient Shaolin techniques to iconic movie stars like Bruce Lee, delve into the history, philosophy and cinematic impact of kung fu with our martial arts series. It is almost an understatement to say that Hong Kong martial arts cinema is rooted in traditional Chinese culture. Below, we look back at some of our most popular explainers that shed light on 10 frequently asked questions culture buffs may have come across. 1. What is wushu? And how did Jet Li study it and make it famous in... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3266254/chinese-martial-arts-101-how-they-are-shown-films-and-whom-10-things-know?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3266254/chinese-martial-arts-101-how-they-are-shown-films-and-whom-10-things-know?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Jun 2024 10:15:08 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification Many people consider TVB’s adaptations of The Legend of the Condor Heroes and The Return of the Condor Heroes timeless classics (“Hong Kong exhibitions launch to honour renowned wuxia novelist Louis... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3258793/dub-tvbs-wuxia-classics-english-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3258793/dub-tvbs-wuxia-classics-english-world?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Apr 2024 03:28:36 +0000 Art Month may have crescendoed with Art Basel and Art Central at the end of March, but Hong Kong remains abuzz with quality exhibitions, installations and multidisciplinary shows. M+ in West Kowloon is hosting a variety of ongoing exhibitions, while public installations such as TeamLab: Continuous and Angelo Bonello’s Illuminate! Run Beyond make use of the harbour as a backdrop for dramatic light-based artworks. For those who can’t get enough of Hong Kong’s vibrant art scene, here’s our pick of... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/lifestyle/leisure/article/3257655/missing-hong-kong-art-month-already-6-exhibitions-and-installations-you-shouldnt-miss-spring?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/lifestyle/leisure/article/3257655/missing-hong-kong-art-month-already-6-exhibitions-and-installations-you-shouldnt-miss-spring?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Apr 2024 00:00:15 +0000 Hong Kong’s Pop Culture Festival is expected to attract 300,000 people over four months, with this year’s iteration exploring the city’s rich history of classic martial arts novels and drama series, according to the organiser. While a two-day music carnival officially kicks off the celebrations in Victoria Park in Causeway Bay on Saturday, some of the events falling under the umbrella of the festival have already started, some as early as last month. Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3258006/300000-people-expected-flock-hong-kongs-pop-culture-festival-celebrating-impact-kung-fu-city?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3258006/300000-people-expected-flock-hong-kongs-pop-culture-festival-celebrating-impact-kung-fu-city?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Apr 2024 10:36:26 +0000 For the 100th anniversary of Louis Cha Leung-yung’s birth, 32 sculptures of iconic characters from his martial arts fantasy novels are on display at Edinburgh Place in Central and the Heritage Museum in Sha Tin. Standing tall against the cityscape, the vividly rendered metallic statues by sculptor Ren Zhe have created quite a buzz among Hong Kong residents, and fans of Cha from far and wide. Some of these characters are household names in their own right, and the many stories by Cha, better... https://www.scmp.com/comment/hk-opinion/article/3256520/forget-instagram-spots-whats-hong-kong-doing-nurture-next-jin-yong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/hk-opinion/article/3256520/forget-instagram-spots-whats-hong-kong-doing-nurture-next-jin-yong?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Mar 2024 01:30:12 +0000 The high-profile posthumous celebrations of the 100th birthday of Chinese martial arts novelist Louis Cha Leung-yung – better known by his pen name Jin Yong – are exciting for his fans, including me. When I first read his novels in the early 1990s as a middle-school student, the genre was still considered “unhealthy” for teenagers. If a Jin Yong novel was spotted in the classroom, the book would be confiscated. But his books had proven irresistibly appealing, and there were always pirated copies... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3255814/hong-kong-should-cherish-literary-legend-jin-yong-and-citys-unique-cultural-role-allows-his-works?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3255814/hong-kong-should-cherish-literary-legend-jin-yong-and-citys-unique-cultural-role-allows-his-works?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Mar 2024 23:00:09 +0000 The characters of renowned Hong Kong wuxia novelist Louis Cha Leung-yung have come to life in large-scale sculptures at two exhibitions which are open to the public as part of “Art March” and celebrations for the centenary of his birth. The exhibitions honour Cha, also known by his pen name Jin Yong, with 32 two-metre-tall (6.6 feet) sculptures made of bronze or stainless steel at Edinburgh Place in Central and the Heritage Museum in Sha Tin, opening to visitors on Friday. Chief Executive John... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3255469/hong-kong-exhibitions-launch-honour-renowned-wuxia-novelist-louis-cha-jin-yong-sculptures-famous?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3255469/hong-kong-exhibitions-launch-honour-renowned-wuxia-novelist-louis-cha-jin-yong-sculptures-famous?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Mar 2024 04:01:02 +0000 The estate of renowned Hong Kong martial arts novelist Louis Cha Leung-yung, widely known by his pen name Jin Yong, has won a copyright lawsuit against mainland Chinese fan fiction writer Yang Zhi, who used the names of popular characters found in the works of the late wuxia author. The final judgment of the Guangzhou Intellectual Property Court ruled that Yang’s 2002 novel There They Were, known as Ci Jian De Shao Nian in Chinese, constituted copyright infringement and unfair competition,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3220526/hong-kong-wuxia-novelist-louis-cha-jin-yong-gets-posthumous-victory-copyright-lawsuit-against?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3220526/hong-kong-wuxia-novelist-louis-cha-jin-yong-gets-posthumous-victory-copyright-lawsuit-against?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 May 2023 09:54:39 +0000 3.5/5 stars Hong Kong superstar Donnie Yen Ji-dan and his martial arts crew put their expertise in hard-hitting action to great use in this respectable adaptation of Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, a beloved 1960s wuxia novel by literary giant Louis Cha Leung-yung, also known as Jin Yong. Yen, who turns 60 this year, said at the screening this writer attended that he is at a stage of his career where he is now treating every action movie as if it is his last. His passion for this ambitious... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3206662/sakra-movie-review-donnie-yen-action-packed-adaptation-louis-chas-epic-wuxia-novel-demi-gods-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3206662/sakra-movie-review-donnie-yen-action-packed-adaptation-louis-chas-epic-wuxia-novel-demi-gods-and?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Jan 2023 03:15:08 +0000 Tencent Holdings, which operates the world’s biggest video gaming business by revenue, asserts that the sector’s technologies are making a contribution to areas outside online entertainment, including culture, science and traditional industries, even as China’s regulators continue their scrutiny of content created by game developers. Subsidiary Tencent Games played up that theme at its “Spark 2022” online conference earlier this week, featuring a virtual avatar of Tencent senior vice-president... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3183715/tencent-plays-social-value-video-gaming-tech-chinas-regulators?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3183715/tencent-plays-social-value-video-gaming-tech-chinas-regulators?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Jun 2022 14:30:17 +0000 The Beijing audience whooped at the end of the premiere of stage play Goodfellas in 15 Days in October when director Clifton Ko Chi-sum announced that Ma Boyong, the author of the novel from which the play was adapted, was in the audience. The thunderous response to Ma, who jumped on stage at the Tianqiao Theatre to greet the audience, underscored the cult status he enjoys in China: his bestselling novels have been adapted into TV dramas and movies, and he has won some of the country’s top... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3156919/why-chinese-author-compared-jin-yong-and-one-chinas-hottest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3156919/why-chinese-author-compared-jin-yong-and-one-chinas-hottest?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Nov 2021 09:45:20 +0000 The flamboyant casino tycoon Stanley Ho Hung-sun passed away on May 26 at the age of 98. His funeral began at the Hong Kong Funeral Home in Quarry Bay today (July 9) and will last until July 10. The public can bid farewell to the local legend, starting from 2pm (Hong Kong time), at the main hall on the ground floor today (July 9). The list of the funeral committee was revealed on July 7 and the members include various key political and business figures such as former chief executives of Hong... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3092349/bruce-lee-stanley-ho-where-are-hong-kongs-dead?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3092349/bruce-lee-stanley-ho-where-are-hong-kongs-dead?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Jul 2020 00:00:10 +0000 A Bond Undone: Legends of the Condor Heroes Book Two by Jin Yong (translated by Gigi Chang), MacLehose Press The death in Hong Kong last year of Louis Cha Leung-yung – known to his readers as Jin Yong – ended one of the great literary careers of modern times. Too popular, perhaps, to be seriously consider­ed for a Nobel prize (despite former Chinese president Jiang Zemin sending ambassadors to plead the author’s case), Jin Yong’s wuxia novels sold by the hundreds of millions, and spawned an... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/books/article/2184281/louis-cha-jin-yong-novel-legends-condor-heroes-book?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/books/article/2184281/louis-cha-jin-yong-novel-legends-condor-heroes-book?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Jan 2019 14:30:00 +0000 Sooner or later, everybody’s kingdom must end. And Hong Kong witnessed that in 2018 with the passing of a generation of major business and cultural figures. At their peak, they made Hong Kong the centre of Chinese capitalism – until mainland China emerged. Their passing and what they’ve left behind will determine Hong Kong’s future.  The passing of Walter Kwok Ping-sheung, former chairman of Sun Hung Kai Properties, marked the end of an era for Hong Kong’s original property tycoons. It started... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/hong-kong/article/2181286/end-era-hong-kong-steps-down-face-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/hong-kong/article/2181286/end-era-hong-kong-steps-down-face-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Jan 2019 06:30:30 +0000 Characters created by the late author Louis Cha Leung-yung are to be featured in a set of commemorative stamps which will go on sale in Hong Kong next month. The martial arts novelist, who is also known by his pen name Jin Yong, died in October, and the set is expected to be popular with stamp collectors and fans of his books locally and overseas. Traders believe the collection will prove to be a bestseller, much like Cha’s novels, and have estimated that prices could increase by as much as 10... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/2174366/characters-created-famous-hong-kong-author-louis-cha-jin-yong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/2174366/characters-created-famous-hong-kong-author-louis-cha-jin-yong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Nov 2018 10:34:42 +0000 Bong Miquiabas speaks with Zhou Xin, SCMP political economy editor, about Louis Cha. How he grew up in the village that was the setting for Cha's first novel, the importance of wuxia fiction in Chinese culture, the massive cross-generational popularity of his books in China and how it's wrong to consider Cha as 'the Chinese Tolkien'. He also talks about Cha's career as a journalist, and the important milestones in his career as editor of Ming Pao, such as his coverage of the flood of migrants to... https://www.scmp.com/podcasts/article/2173387/podcast-life-and-legacy-louis-cha-jin-yong-behind-story?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/podcasts/article/2173387/podcast-life-and-legacy-louis-cha-jin-yong-behind-story?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Nov 2018 16:00:15 +0000 The late celebrated Chinese author Louis Cha Leung-yung was cremated on Tuesday afternoon at Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island, one of Hong Kong’s most important Buddhist sanctums, renowned for its giant Tian Tan Buddha statue. About 50 family members and friends arrived at the Po Lin Monastery around noon, escorting the hearse carrying the Chinese literary giant, better known by his pen name Jin Yong, to a private cremation site. The site, called Hoi Wui Tower, was closed from 10am to 3pm for... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/2172991/friends-and-family-pay-final-respects-chinese-literary-giant?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/2172991/friends-and-family-pay-final-respects-chinese-literary-giant?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Nov 2018 09:45:08 +0000 The guestbook at a private service for Louis Cha Leung-yung at Hong Kong Funeral Home in North Point read like a who’s who of the city’s media, business, showbiz and political elite featuring lawmakers, officials, tycoons and actors. Cha, better known by his pen name Jin Yong, died on October 30 at age 94. The funeral procession will take place on Tuesday morning at Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island. Floral wreaths were sent from present and past state leaders, including President Xi Jinping,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/2172847/hong-kongs-business-showbiz-and-political-elite-turn-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/2172847/hong-kongs-business-showbiz-and-political-elite-turn-out?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Nov 2018 14:30:00 +0000 “Vast, vast sadness. Boundless, boundless loss. The song has ended. The moon has been snatched away.” This extract from Louis Cha Leung-yung’s The Book and the Sword now carries significantly more weight following the death of the 94-year-old Chinese literary giant last month. A condolence book for Cha, who wrote under the pen name Jin Yong, will be at the Heritage Museum in Sha Tin later this month for the public to pay their last respects. We take a look at four of Cha’s most popular novels in... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people-events/article/2172719/4-louis-cha-leung-yungs-most-iconic-tv-and-film?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people-events/article/2172719/4-louis-cha-leung-yungs-most-iconic-tv-and-film?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Nov 2018 03:15:45 +0000 China’s vice-premier Han Zheng has praised Hong Kong literary giant Louis Cha Leung-yung for promoting traditional Chinese culture with his works and supporting Beijing’s “one country, two systems” governing principle for Hong Kong. Cha, 94, also known by his pen name Jin Yong, died in a Hong Kong hospital with friends and family at his bedside on Tuesday. The life and time of Chinese author Louis Cha ‘Jin Yong’ With well over 100 million copies of his books sold worldwide and countless... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/2171614/chinese-vice-premier-han-zheng-pays-tribute-loyal-and-noble?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/2171614/chinese-vice-premier-han-zheng-pays-tribute-loyal-and-noble?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Nov 2018 11:27:02 +0000 Louis Cha, better known by his pen name Jin Yong, is one of the most-read writers in the Chinese-speaking world. But outside it, relatively few people have heard of him, hence the English-language media’s effort to refer him as “China’s Tolkien”. Through his epic works, Cha, who died at the age of 94 in Hong Kong last week, perfected the literary genre of martial arts novels by creating a mythical world where heroes and heroines go against all hardships to help the weak and ensure justice... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/2171478/louis-chas-life-hong-kong-journalist-was-thrilling-his-martial?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/2171478/louis-chas-life-hong-kong-journalist-was-thrilling-his-martial?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Nov 2018 01:03:02 +0000 Thirteen current and former state leaders of China, including President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang, mourned the passing of Hong Kong literary giant Louis Cha Leung-yung, Beijing’s liaison office in the city said in a statement on Friday night. Cha, 94, also known by his pen name Jin Yong, died at the Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital in Happy Valley with friends and family at his bedside on Tuesday afternoon. Liaison office director Wang Zhimin visited Cha’s home on Friday night and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/2171492/president-xi-jinping-premier-li-keqiang-and-11-other-current?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/2171492/president-xi-jinping-premier-li-keqiang-and-11-other-current?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Nov 2018 15:30:45 +0000 It’s the sign of a great artist that people from the left and right will try to claim him as one of their own, and that people will use his work, in life as in death, as a prism to reflect on society’s conflicts and controversies. So it’s no exception with wuxia novelist Louis Cha Leung-yung. Tributes have been pouring in since his death was announced on Tuesday. Expressions of admiration are almost universal. But implicit in some of the eulogies is political score-taking among the local... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2171468/television-not-brits-made-louis-cha-jin-yong-household-name?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2171468/television-not-brits-made-louis-cha-jin-yong-household-name?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Nov 2018 12:41:10 +0000 It is well known that former Ming Pao owner and editor Louis Cha, better known as Jin Yong the celebrated writer of martial arts novels, co-founded the Shin Min Daily News in Singapore. Less well known is that he once offered to sell his Hong Kong paper to the Singapore media company that owned The Straits Times. I know – because I was the person he sounded out through an intermediary. I had nearly forgotten about this little episode until news of his death on October 30 jolted my memory. At... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/2171352/louis-cha-asked-me-if-singapores-straits-times-would-buy-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/2171352/louis-cha-asked-me-if-singapores-straits-times-would-buy-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Nov 2018 05:00:30 +0000 At lunch one day with Louis Cha Leung-yung, the late author of the kung fu novels that inspired pretty much the entire fantasy universe of China today, he told me about how he was not alone in hoping that his works could achieve some measure of international recognition, commensurate with their impact in the Chinese world. Former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin, Cha said, was a great fan. Jiang had arranged for an emissary to visit the Nobel Prize committee and say it was time for a Chinese writer to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2171127/i-translated-chinese-writer-louis-cha-jin-yong-heres-why-he-never?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2171127/i-translated-chinese-writer-louis-cha-jin-yong-heres-why-he-never?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Nov 2018 03:45:00 +0000 Martial arts novelist Louis Cha Leung-yung’s death on Tuesday has meant the loss of another cultural giant who had settled in Hong Kong during the peak of political turbulence in mainland China and came to be fully embraced by the city. Because of the divisive political atmosphere in today’s Hong Kong, observers said, if Cha, distinguished sinologist Professor Jao Tsung-i and feng shui master Choi Park-lai – who both died this year – had settled in the city in recent years, they could have found... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2171116/warm-welcome-likes-cultural-giant-louis-cha-jin-yong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2171116/warm-welcome-likes-cultural-giant-louis-cha-jin-yong?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Nov 2018 02:01:10 +0000 In sorrowful remembrance of Mr Jin Yong Because of the word xia (a chivalrous hero and the virtue he exemplifies), I have felt close to you for half my life. Your writing is vast, and your heart was true. I love your writing, which is chivalrous and righteous, bright and clean; I love the person you were, an elegant, honest gentleman with a child’s purity. At our first meeting, I was a chatterbox. As I chattered away for three hours, you only smiled and listened to me. I still see this moment in... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/2171109/if-not-you-i-wonder-if-there-would-have-been-alibaba-jack-ma-pays?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/2171109/if-not-you-i-wonder-if-there-would-have-been-alibaba-jack-ma-pays?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Nov 2018 01:32:11 +0000 The illustrious world of sword-wielding kung fu masters battling on mountain tops created by late novelist Louis Cha Leung-yung has been a household staple in the Chinese-speaking world. Depending on who you ask, however, the books by Cha, who used the pen name Jin Yong, may not be a person’s point of entry into this fantasy world that splashes fictional characters against historic backdrops. Since the 1950s, generations of Hong Kong people have grown up with film and television adaptations of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/2171087/legends-making-6-best-known-characters-world-martial-arts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/2171087/legends-making-6-best-known-characters-world-martial-arts?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Nov 2018 01:01:21 +0000 Louis Cha Leung-yung may have been best known as a prolific writer of martial arts novels, but he was also a colourful, influential figure in journalism and politics. He had his own newspaper, which he used unabashedly to promote his controversial political opinions, disregarded his critics, and fell in and out of favour with Beijing at different periods over more than three decades. Cha, who died on Tuesday at age 94, started out as a journalist and translator for the Ta Kung Pao newspaper in... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2171118/hong-kong-literary-giant-louis-cha-jin-yong-ever-ready-voice?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2171118/hong-kong-literary-giant-louis-cha-jin-yong-ever-ready-voice?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Nov 2018 00:00:43 +0000 The late martial arts novelist Louis Cha Leung-yung is set to exert his influence over new generations of gamers captivated by the wuxia genre, many of whom were not even born when he wrote his last work in 1972. “As long as it’s wuxia, people will feel reluctant to accept a game if it doesn’t include some of Jin Yong’s influence,” said Zheng Jie, 32, the developer behind new hit Chinese single-player personal computer game The Scroll of Taiwu. “His work will be adapted over and over.” Cha’s 14... https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/2171097/legacy-louis-cha-jin-yong-live-through-wuxia-inspired-video-games?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/2171097/legacy-louis-cha-jin-yong-live-through-wuxia-inspired-video-games?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Oct 2018 22:00:15 +0000 Chinese literary giant Louis Cha Leung-yung’s funeral will be a private event, as he had wanted, the official Xinhua News Agency reported on Wednesday night. Citing an obituary on behalf of Cha’s family by Ming Ho Publications Corporation, which was founded by the late martial arts novelist, Xinhua said a condolence book would be opened at the Jin Yong Gallery at the Heritage Museum in Sha Tin for the public to pay their last respects from November 12 to 30. Hongkongers have been flocking to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/2171113/fans-flock-gallery-mourn-hong-kong-martial-arts-novelist-louis-cha?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/2171113/fans-flock-gallery-mourn-hong-kong-martial-arts-novelist-louis-cha?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Oct 2018 15:46:14 +0000 Li Jun started reading the works of Louis Cha Leung-yung when he was in the sixth grade. He borrowed the first one from a friend and he was hooked. He read Louis Cha books in class, instead of doing homework, and sometimes he would read them when he was supposed to be eating or sleeping. Back then, wuxia novels about martial arts heroes in ancient China were regarded as “poison” on the mainland. Parents and teachers thought they might interfere with schoolwork, or worse, turn children violent.... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2171105/masses-bosses-louis-chas-sway-over-china-was-complete?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2171105/masses-bosses-louis-chas-sway-over-china-was-complete?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Oct 2018 14:03:22 +0000 No one arguably has had such an extensive and profound impact on the Chinese-speaking world as Louis Cha Leung-yung, known by his nom de plume Jin Yong. From popular culture to academic studies, from the press to politics, Cha has influenced generations in different spheres. That is why tributes continue to pour in after the 94-year-old died in Hong Kong on Tuesday. To say that Cha was the most prominent contemporary Chinese writer is by no means an overstatement. Not only did he epitomise the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/hong-kong/article/2171099/louis-cha-man-who-united-chinese-name-chivalry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/hong-kong/article/2171099/louis-cha-man-who-united-chinese-name-chivalry?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Oct 2018 13:12:13 +0000 It was early morning on July 18, 1981. Louis Cha woke early to dress for the occasion, despite Beijing’s summer heat. He was going to see Deng Xiaoping, Beijing’s paramount leader. A specially arranged car brought him and his family to the Great Hall of the People, where Deng greeted him at the door, wearing just a simple short-sleeved shirt. This was the first time Deng had met someone from Hong Kong since becoming Vice-Chairman of the Communist Party Central Committee. But Deng wanted the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2171085/shared-sorrow-louis-cha-jin-yong-and-deng-xiaoping?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2171085/shared-sorrow-louis-cha-jin-yong-and-deng-xiaoping?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Oct 2018 12:00:15 +0000 The Chinese-speaking world is mourning the death of literary giant Louis Cha, whose martial arts novels provided a touchstone for Asian people around the world. Cha, who wrote under the pen name of Jin Yong, died in Hong Kong on Tuesday at the age of 94. The celebrated author penned 15 martial arts novels throughout his lifetime, and is considered one of the most influential Chinese writers of the modern age. He is a household name in Asia, thanks to the many movies, TV dramas and video games... https://www.scmp.com/arts/wuxia-novelist-louis-cha-aka-jin-yong-passes-away-age-94/article/2171035?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/arts/wuxia-novelist-louis-cha-aka-jin-yong-passes-away-age-94/article/2171035?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Oct 2018 09:15:45 +0000 Legendary Hong Kong martial arts novelist Louis Cha Leung-yung had been suffering from liver cancer and dementia in his twilight years, friend and fellow writer Chip Tsao revealed on Tuesday night. Cha, also known by his pen name Jin Yong, died at the Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital in Happy Valley with friends and family at his bedside that afternoon, aged 94. The respected journalist, who co-founded the Ming Pao newspaper group, was a celebrated author whose novels in the wuxia genre –... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2170981/hong-kong-wuxia-legend-louis-cha-battled-liver-cancer-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2170981/hong-kong-wuxia-legend-louis-cha-battled-liver-cancer-and?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Oct 2018 04:30:15 +0000 Tributes have been pouring in for Hong Kong martial arts novelist Louis Cha Leung-yung, the world’s most popular Chinese writer, who died on Tuesday after a long illness. He was 94. His son-in-law, Dr Ng Wai-cheong, said the literary giant was surrounded by family members when he died in the afternoon, while the Chinese-language Ming Pao newspaper, founded by Cha, confirmed he breathed his last at the Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital. Cha was a respected journalist, community leader, and,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/2170910/hong-kongs-most-famous-martial-arts-writer-louis-cha-dies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/2170910/hong-kongs-most-famous-martial-arts-writer-louis-cha-dies?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Oct 2018 11:30:00 +0000 Generations of Chinese readers have been captivated by the novels of Jin Yong. In stature and in style, he’s often compared to J.R.R. Tolkien. His 15 novels have sold at least 300 million copies combined, and are hailed as the “common language” of the Chinese-speaking world. While he’s a household name in Asia, his fame hasn’t spread to the West – not yet, at any rate.   But a new translation of his work might change all that. Jin, whose real name is Louis Cha, is considered the maestro of the... https://www.scmp.com/arts/new-translation-legend-condor-heroes-brings-jin-yong-west/article/2142450?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/arts/new-translation-legend-condor-heroes-brings-jin-yong-west/article/2142450?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Apr 2018 10:00:45 +0000