To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Dr Louis Cha (Jin Yong), the Hong Kong Heritage Museum (HKHM) has organised the "A Path to Glory – Jin Yong's Centennial Memorial, Sculpted by Ren Zhe" exhibition. Having been open for nearly five months, the exhibition has been popular among the local public and tourists, and has received over 300 000 visitors.
The Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Kevin Yeung, visited the HKHM today (August 9) to welcome the 300 000th visitor of the exhibition together with the co-curator of the exhibition and Founder of Guyu Cultural Development Foundation, Mr William Fong, sculptor Ren Zhe, and the Museum Director of the HKHM, Mr Brian Lam. They were joined by Cantopop singer Ms Teresa Cheung, who sang very popular songs such as "When Will I See You Again" and "Love in Two Hearts" from the TV drama "The Giant Eagle and its Companion". They presented to the 300 000th visitor a souvenir pack which included an exhibition poster, a limited-edition catalogue produced by Ren Zhe Studio and autographed by Mr Fong and sculptor Ren Zhe.
Ms Kong is the 300 000th visitor to the exhibition. This was her second time visiting it. She enjoyed the exquisite craftsmanship of Ren Zhe's sculptures, particularly the fine details of the weapons held by the martial arts characters. Ms Kong also thinks that the multimedia presentation created by artist Victor Wong complemented the exhibition's atmosphere well.
The novels and characters created by the heavyweight novelist, Jin Yong, are of the collective memory of the Chinese people of Hong Kong and the world. Supported by Jin Yong's family and Ming Ho Publications Corporation Limited, the HKHM has organised the first authorised sculpture exhibition showcasing Jin Yong's classic martial arts characters. Sculptor Ren Zhe made use of his unique sculptural techniques, exquisite craftsmanship and visionary creativity to bring 22 of Jin Yong's well-known characters including Guo Jing, Huang Rong, Yang Guo, Xiaolongnu, Linghu Chong, Feng Qingyang, Zhang Wuji and Ren Woxing to life. For details of the exhibition, please visit hk.heritage.museum/en/web/hm/exhibitions/data/renzhe.html.
Members of the public can also participate in the "A journey of Discovery, Finding Jin Yong's Novel Characters in the Community" activity. To spot sculptures under the same series located at different cultural and tourist landmarks around town, scan the QR codes near the sculptures and answer questions to redeem limited-edition gift sets. Besides the HKHM, participants can also find sculptures at Hong Kong Park and Victoria Park under the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD). For details, please visit the website of the organiser at en.jinyong.hk/blogs/events.
The HKHM has been committed to promoting the preservation, research, display, education and promotion of Hong Kong's pop culture in recent years. Apart from the sculpture exhibition and the permanent Jin Yong Gallery, the HKHM has staged the "A Laugh at the World: James Wong" exhibition to illustrate how the works of the genius, including music, film, television, advertising and literature, capture the essence of contemporary pop culture. James Wong composed many songs for Jin Yong's martial arts films and TV dramas. "A Laugh at the World", "Breadth and Depth of Mountains and Waters" and "You're the Best in the World" are all classics.
The HKHM will organise the "James Wong's Greatest Hits on Vinyl" music sharing on September 14. Music critic on Cantopop records, Mr Ivan Wong, will share with audiences two of Wong's vintage vinyl records playlists – "James Wong x Jin Yong on Martial Arts Classics" and "Joseph Koo x James Wong on TV Series and Movies".
The "A Path to Glory – Jin Yong's Centennial Memorial, Sculpted by Ren Zhe" and "A Laugh at the World: James Wong"exhibitions are programmes of the Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival 2024. The LCSD presented the first Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival last year to great acclaim. This year, the second edition features "Arts & Action" as its theme, taking audiences on a journey through time to explore the charm of Hong Kong's pop culture. It encompasses both "Arts" (creative works) and "Action" (martial arts), an attempt to show the dynamic inheritance, diffusion, integration and breakthroughs within Hong Kong's pop culture. The event lineup offers a diverse range of formats including thematic exhibitions, film screenings, stage performances and outreach activities, and its rich content spans across literature, various art forms and martial arts, clearly showcasing how Hong Kong's vibrant and diverse pop culture stands out from the rest. For more information, please visit www.pcf.gov.hk/en.
The sculpture exhibition is also one of the activities in the Chinese Culture Promotion Series. The LCSD has long been promoting Chinese history and culture through organising an array of programmes and activities to enable the public to learn more about the broad and profound Chinese culture. For more information, please visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/ccpo/index.html.
