Author who gave culture a new plot
An avid reader of literature from a young age, Cha was especially attracted to wuxia novels.
He studied at the foreign language department at the Central University of Political Affairs, and the faculty of law at Soochow University, before starting his career as a journalist at the Shanghai newspaper Ta Kung Pao in 1947. He was transferred to Hong Kong the following year.
Under the influence of his friend, Liang Yusheng, in Hong Kong, Cha began to create his first serialized martial arts novel, Romance of the Book and Sword, in 1955. He went on to publish serialized novels in the newspaper and, by 1972, when he announced his retirement from wuxia writing, he had created 14 novels and a short story.
These books, which were translated into multiple languages, including English, Korean, Japanese and French, have been widely read around the world.
Manuscripts and different editions of the books are on display in the second chapter of the exhibition. A rare copy of The Legend of the Condor Heroes, published in 1956, is among the exhibits.
Cha's works are frequently adapted into films, TV series, manga books and plays, as reflected in the third chapter of the exhibition.
This section features artworks from Hong Kong artists, including paintings from Cha's daughter Edna, illustrations of Jin Yong characters by the renowned illustrators Lee Chi-ching and Wong Yuklong, as well as thematic sculptures created by Simon Ma, a Hong Kong cross-cultural artist.
