The "A Path to Glory – Jin Yong's Centennial Memorial, Sculpted by Ren Zhe" exhibition, held at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum (HKHM) to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Dr Louis Cha (Jin Yong), received its 100 000th visitor today (May 1). The Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Mr Vincent Liu and the co-curator Mr William Fong visited the HKHM today to present a gift pack, including a limited-edition catalogue produced and autographed by the sculptor Ren Zhe and an exhibition poster, to the 100 000th visitor of the exhibition.
The novels and characters created by Jin Yong were the collective memory of the Chinese people of Hong Kong and the world. This exhibition is supported by Dr Cha's family and Ming Ho Publications Corporation Limited and is the first authorised sculpture exhibition showcasing Jin Yong's classic martial arts characters. The exhibition has been widely welcomed by the local public and visitors since its opening on March 16. The 100 000th visitors, Mr Guo and Ms Chen from Fujian, have been to the HKHM for many times. They also visited the "Miss You Such Leslie Exhibition" and "Bruce Lee Exhibition" last year. This year, they come to Hong Kong again for visiting "A Path to Glory" exhibition during Labour Day Golden Week holiday. Mr Guo mentioned that he developed a love for Jin Yong's works after watching the film adaptations of the novels during his time in junior secondary school. His favorite character is Yang Guo from "The Giant Eagle and Its Companion".
Renowned 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. The exhibition is also set alongside multimedia installations created by media artist Victor Wong (winner of the Best Visual Effects of the Hong Kong Film Awards) and his team, to lead visitors into Jin Yong's imaginary world of martial arts. The exhibition is presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), and jointly organised by the HKHM and Guyu Cultural Development Foundation. It will run until October 7 at the HKHM (1 Man Lam Road, Sha Tin) with free admission. 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 also display a bust of Dr Cha donated by his family for the museum's permanent collection at the permanent Jin Yong Gallery. This 60 centimetre-tall bust, was sculpted by Ren Zhe and modelled on Dr Cha's image in his later years. The Jin Yong Gallery was established in 2017 with the support from Dr Cha, it has received over 2 700 000 visitors since its opening. The gallery showcases more than 300 exhibits featuring 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. The exhibits include a couplet handwritten by Jin Yong, manuscripts of the Serialised "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer", and special issues for TV adaptations.
To tie in with the exhibition, a series of special programmes are arranged by the HKHM and the LCSD between April and June, including talks on "Beyond Martial Arts Fiction: Jin Yong's Cultural Writing" hosted by Mr Lee Yee-kin, "Jin Yong as Film Critic" hosted by Mr Matthew Cheng, "Navigating the Multiverse of Jin Yong's Martial Arts Novels Seventy Years On" hosted by Dr Clarence Yau," The Very Best of Jin Yong's Martial Arts Novels" hosted by Dr Yeung Hing-on and Mr Sam Poon, "Wrestling with Words: Translating Jin Yong's Martial Arts Novels" hosted by Ms Gigi Chang, and etc. For details, please visit
hk.heritage.museum/en/web/hm/eventsactivities/programmes/ren-zhe.html.
In addition, the Hong Kong Public Libraries (HKPL) will hold the "Exhibition on Dr. Louis CHA Collection" from May 1 to August 31 to display the book collection of Dr Louis Cha (Jin Yong) 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. Admission is free. The exhibition is one of the programmes of the Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival 2024 and the Chinese Culture Promotion Series of the LCSD. A subject talk on "Multi-dimensional Reading of Jin Yong's Martial Arts Novels" hosted by Dr Clarence Yau will also 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.
Related events include "Classic Martial Arts Drama Costumes and Props Exhibition" under the "Arts or Action, Why Not Both?" series, as well as the "ART!ON POP Concert" which will be held in July.
The "A Path to Glory – Jin Yong's Centennial Memorial, Sculpted by Ren Zhe" 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 all along promoted Chinese history and culture through organising an array of programmes and activities to enable the public learn more about broad and profound Chinese culture. For more information, please visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/ccpo/index.html.
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