Heritage Museum’s “A Path to Glory – Jin Yong’s Centennial Memorial, Sculpted by Ren Zhe” exhibition receives its 200 000th visitor (with photos)

     The "A Path to Glory – Jin Yong's Centennial Memorial, Sculpted by Ren Zhe" exhibition, being held at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum (HKHM) to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Dr Louis Cha (Jin Yong), has been widely welcomed by the local public and visitors since its opening on March 16. It was visited by more than 200 000 visitors, among whom about 30 000 are tourists.

     The Under Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Raistlin Lau, the Founder of Guyu Cultural Development Foundation and co-curator of the exhibition, Mr William Fong, and the multimedia artist of the exhibition, Mr Victor Wong, visited the HKHM yesterday (June 21) to present a souvenir pack to the 200 000th visitor of the exhibition. The souvenir pack included a limited edition catalogue produced by Ren Zhe Studio and autographed by Mr Fong and Ren Zhe, an exhibition poster, and a gift set co-designed by the HKHM and the fashion brand "Sparkle by Karen Chan".
 
     The 200 000th visitor of the exhibition is Mr. Lo. He said that he enjoyed travelling around Hong Kong after retirement. This is his first visit to the HKHM. He has read most of the Jin Yong novels, "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer" and the main character Linghu Chong are his favorite picks. He was also impressed by the rich content of the Jin Yong Gallery, Anita Mui and Bruce Lee exhibition at the HKHM.

     The novels and characters created by Jin Yong are the collective memory of the Chinese people of Hong Kong and the world. Sculptor Ren Zhe brought 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 in this exhibition, while artist Mr Victor Wong and his team leads visitors into Jin Yong's imaginary world of martial arts through their multimedia installations. The exhibition will run until October 7 with free admission. The exhibition is presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), and jointly organised by the HKHM and Guyu Cultural Development Foundation. For details of the exhibition, please visit hk.heritage.museum/en/web/hm/exhibitions/data/renzhe.html.
 
     In addition to the lifelike sculptures, the HKHM is also displaying a bust of Dr Cha donated by his family for the museum's permanent collection at the permanent Jin Yong Gallery. The Jin Yong Gallery introduces the early career of Jin Yong, the creative process behind his martial arts novels and the impact the novels have had on Hong Kong's pop culture. Since its establishment in 2017, it has received over 2 780 000 visitors. Highlight exhibits include a couplet handwritten by Jin Yong, manuscripts of the Serialised "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer", and early issues of newspaper.

     The HKHM organises multi-faceted exhibitions and related talks, including Cantonese Opera Heritage Hall and Hong Kong Pop 60+, both of which remind the public of their fond memories. The HKHM is an ideal place for people of all ages, including senior citizens, to hang out together. To show care for senior citizens, people with different abilities and other communities in need, the LCSD has also introduced the Community Care Series which offers a vast range of recreational, sports and cultural activities and facilities. More details can be found on its webpage at www.lcsd.gov.hk/edutainment/en/for_care/index.html.
 
     To tie in with the exhibition, the HKHM is organising a series of special programmes, including a talk "Wrestling with Words: Translating Jin Yong's Martial Arts Novels" to be hosted by Ms Gigi Chang on July 6. The "Arts or Action, Why Not Both?" Classic Martial Arts Drama Costumes and Props Exhibition, organised by the Pop Culture Programmes Office, is being held at the open space on 2/F of the HKHM. This exhibition presents a collection of around 30 exhibits from headpieces to costumes and props from classic martial arts TV dramas from the 1970s to the 2000s. Besides, the Hong Kong Public Libraries (HKPL) is also staging the "Exhibition on Dr. Louis CHA Collection" from now until August 31 to display the book collection of Dr Louis Cha at the Rare Book Reading Room on 8/F of the Hong Kong Central Library (HKCL) in remembrance of this master of martial arts novels. Another subject talk on "Multi-dimensional Reading of Jin Yong's Martial Arts Novels" to be hosted by Dr Clarence Yau will be held on July 5 at the Lecture Theatre on G/F of HKCL, exploring the martial arts world in Jin Yong's novels from different perspectives. "ART!ON POP Concert" will be held on July 21 and 22 at the Concert Hall of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre.
 
     The exhibition is one of the pre-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 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.
 
     The "A Path to Glory – Jin Yong's Centennial Memorial．The World of Wuxia" exhibition held at Edinburgh Place, Central, showcasing 10 sculptures of Jin Yong's iconic characters sculpted by Ren Zhe, will last till July 2. Other tourist and cultural landmarks, including Hong Kong International Airport, Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal, Kai Tak Cruise Terminal and West Kowloon Cultural District, are also displaying sculptures of Jin Yong's characters. For details, please visit en.jinyong.hk/pages/satellite. The exhibition is supported by the Mega Arts and Cultural Events Fund under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau.