Hong Kong launches series of commemorative activities for the centenary of Jin Yong’s birth——

The Great Hero Reappears

　　Our reporter Wang Yao and Chen Ran

　　The calm Guo Jing, the wild and uninhibited Yang Guo, the cold and noble Xiao Longnu, the innocent Zhou Botong... Who do you like the most? A few days ago, a group of distinctive characters created by the late martial arts novel master Jin Yong were unveiled at Edinburgh Place in Central, Hong Kong. The lifelike sculptures embodied the classic characters in literary works. When the soul-stirring theme song of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" sounded over the concrete forest lined with high-rise buildings, the swords and swords, the chivalrous and tender rivers and lakes seemed to have traveled through the smoke and clouds of history, creating a wonderful sense of time and space.

　　March 15th is the centenary of the birth of Jin Yong (real name Cha Liangyong). As the birthplace of Jin Yong's martial arts novels, Hong Kong launched a series of activities on the same day "The Greatest Chivalrous Man - Jin Yong's Centenary Birth Commemoration". The first exhibition "Jianghu Shenghui" displayed 10 sculptures of Jin Yong's martial arts characters at Edinburgh Place in Central, leading The audience savored the Jianghu, which seemed far away yet close.

　　At the opening ceremony of the event, Jin Yong’s family donated a bronze bust of Jin Yong to the Hong Kong Heritage Museum for permanent collection, and it was open to the public for free viewing. The bust is about 60 centimeters high. It was created by Ren Zhe, a sculptor born in the 1980s, based on the image of Jin Yong in his later years, depicting Jin Yong's smiling appearance.

　　Hong Kong SAR Chief Executive Lee Ka-chiu attended the ceremony and delivered a speech, saying that the SAR government fully supports the series of commemorative activities for the centenary of Jin Yong’s birth. I believe that the "Jin Yong Culture" event held in Hong Kong will also be a global event, attracting Jin Yong fans from all over the world to visit Hong Kong to pay tribute to the master of martial arts novels, and set off another wave of "Jin Yong fever" in Hong Kong and the global Chinese community. .

　　Subsequently, the organizer played a number of clips from Jin Yong's dramas shot in the 1980s and 1990s. When familiar faces appeared one by one, Hong Kong actors who had played different martial arts characters in the dramas stood up from the audience and greeted everyone. Wave. A Jin Yong fan who came all the way from Wuhan to watch the exhibition exclaimed, “It’s like reliving youth!”

　　Fang Yuanming, the curator of the "Jianghu Shenghui" exhibition, said that he hopes to inherit Jin Yong's chivalrous spirit through contemporary art and show the world the immortal classic of "The Great Chivalrous Man". The exhibition site restored some of the scene settings in the novel, including iconic objects such as the yurt, Yitian Sword, Dragon Slaying Knife, and Xiao Longnu's cold jade bed, allowing the audience to immerse themselves in the "world of martial arts."

　　On March 16, another important exhibition in the series of commemorative activities, "Ren Zhe Sculpture Exhibition", was held at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum. Through powerful and dynamic sculptures, the exhibition presents the classic looks of 22 characters from Jin Yong's martial arts novels. At the same time, combined with multimedia interactive experiences, the exhibition allows the audience to delve deeper into the mysterious world of the rising tide.

　　Jin Yong created a total of 15 martial arts novels throughout his life and created more than 1,400 characters. Among the many chivalrous heroes, Ren Zhe only loved Guo Jing. He specially designed three statues of Guo Jing for this commemorative event, showing his images as a boy, a young man and an old man respectively.

　　"Three different versions of Guo Jing will appear in different areas of Hong Kong to match the history and background stories of the area." Fang Yuanming gave an example. Guo Jing making the "Eighteen Palms of Subduing the Dragon" gesture was placed at the Hong Kong International Airport to provide a convenient way for people to come and go. Passengers are given a surprise in the Year of the Dragon; Guo Jing, who guards Xiangyang City, can be placed at Tuen Gate and introduce the history of the "Tuen Soldier Gate" through his chivalrous stories.

　　"I hope that through the art form of sculpture, I can lead everyone to review martial arts classics, and lead the younger generation to understand the meaning of 'The Greatest Hero', so that everyone can become the hero in their own hearts," Ren Zhe said.

　　It is understood that in conjunction with the sculpture exhibition, the Hong Kong Heritage Museum will also organize a series of special programs, including linking with the Hong Kong Central Library to display relevant library collections and Jin Yong’s martial arts audiobooks in the museum’s special exhibition hall, allowing the audience to enjoy the exhibition before visiting the exhibition. I will relive the fascinating plots of Jin Yong's novels.

　　In addition, the Hong Kong Public Library will also hold the "Chivalrous Warriors: My Favorite Martial Arts Novels Characters" essay competition and roving exhibition, "Chivalrous Bones and Hearts - Dr. Cha Leung-yong Collection Exhibition" and related lectures, as well as "Details" from April "Taste of Jin Yong's Novels" book exhibition, etc., in order to allow the audience to fully understand the connotations of Chinese history, literature and art, family and country sentiments contained in Jin Yong's novels.

　　In the next six months, sculpture exhibitions, martial arts lectures, concerts and other exciting activities themed on Jin Yong's classic works will "travel" throughout Hong Kong, connecting the common cultural memories of Chinese people at home and abroad.

　　"The heroes in Jin Yong's works are chivalrous men who dedicated their lives to the country and the people." Li Jiachao said that he hopes that the younger generation can feel the chivalrous spirit, appreciate Chinese culture, cultivate feelings for the family and the country, and actively participate in construction through wonderful sculpture exhibitions and cultural activities. country and contribute to society.

　　(People's Daily Overseas Edition, Hong Kong, March 25)