Copies of Louis Cha's Ode to Gallantry Photo: IC

A visitor is dressed up for a photo at the Jin Yong Exhibition in Shanghai on November 1, 2022. Photo: Xie Jun/Global Times

An exhibition about famous Chinese martial arts novelist Louis Cha (pen name Jin Yong) in Shanghai has aroused the collective memories of visitors about the fictional characters and legendary adventures created by the late Hong Kong-based novelist, who is considered one of the most important icons of Chinese popular literature.  

His novels are also regarded as a patriotic symbol for many Chinese people, visitors told the Global Times on Tuesday, as the books are a mix of martial arts stories and traditional Chinese culture. 

The Jin Yong Exhibition, which opened on Friday at the Shanghai Library, was organized by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Shanghai of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland. 

At the opening ceremony of the exhibition, Hong Kong's Chief Executive John Lee said Cha is the most read writer in the Chinese community, and that his influence on literature, film and television and popular culture has been limitless over the past 60 years, according to a report from Chinese news outlet thepaper.cn.

Lee said he hopes visitors will appreciate Cha's extraordinary life through the exhibition and savor the spirit of patriotism contained in his works, the report noted.

Divided into four sections, the exhibition displays around 300 exhibits related to Cha's life and novels, such as his personal collection of chess pieces, seals, different versions of his novels and stage photos from television series and movies based upon his works.

The exhibition also has installations recreating scenes from the popular author's novels where visitors can dress up like their favorite characters and take photos. There's also a sculpture of the eagle from Cha's novel The Legend of the Condor Heroes. 

Cha wrote 14 martial arts novels in total, many of which were written while he was working for Hong Kong newspapers. The stories, which are often set against the background of Chinese historical events, are loved by Chinese readers all over the world not only for the twists in the storyline, but also for their depictions of traditional Chinese culture. 

Besides being a successful novelist, Cha also becomes a famous icon of Hong Kong's popular culture. Many famous cultural products have been produced based on Cha's novels, such as songs written by Hong Kong lyricist and songwriter James Wong for movies adapted from Cha's works.

A visitor at the exhibition surnamed Huang, from China's post-1980 generation, told the Global Times that the patriotism in Cha's novels is what attracted her the most. 

"I started to read Cha's novels when I was in junior high school. There were also many TV shows adapted from Cha's novels playing at that time. What impressed me was not only the martial arts scenes, but also the chivalrous spirit of making contributions to the motherland that Cha's books stressed, which I think is very powerful and inspiring," she said. 

She also said that Cha's novels often focused on individuals making important life choices, which she feels can broaden the horizons of today's younger generation.

Thomas Yeung, a Hong Kong economist and vice dean of the Futian School of Finance, told the Global Times that Cha's works have always promoted a chivalric spirit and the concept of the Chinese nation. 

The thinking of Cha has influenced the spirit of Hongkongers by focusing on commitment, willingness to help others and surviving difficult situations.

Many Hongkongers also have the personalities of major characters depicted in Cha's novels, he said.