Hong Kong Central Library | Monthly Literary Talk 2026 : Enjoy the Moment with Jin Yong's Martial Arts Novels - Innovation and Transformation

Description

Topic 1:Revenge Retold: How Jin Yong Reinvented Xiayi Spirit in Chinese Martial Arts Novels

Speaker :Dr. FUNG Wai-sum, Cathy

Synopsis: Revenge is a crucial plot element in wuxia novels. Traditional tales of blood feuds emphasize the irreconcilable hatred of one's parents, with the grudge often passed down through generations, a never-ending cycle of revenge. However, these family-centric, tit-for-tat ideas, which place the individual above the legal order, are outdated. Therefore, Jin Yong, through adapting traditional revenge stories, questions and reflects on the targets of revenge, the responsibilities of descendants, and the underlying moral rationale, attempting to find a new path for the revenge narrative.

Topic 2:Reconstructing the Martial World: The Transmedia Adaptation Journey of Jin Yong's Novels

Speaker :Dr. KWOK Sze-wing

Introduction: Jin Yong's novels are a popular source of material for adaptations in Chinese literature. From the written narrative of the novels to the audiovisual entertainment of film and television works, and then to the virtual interaction of video games, the martial arts world created by Jin Yong has completed a sensory journey from imagination to a tangible and perceptible experience. This lecture will focus on the cross-media cultural phenomenon of adapting Jin Yong's works, using case studies to explore how different eras of media have presented and imagined Jin Yong's novels, and to discover the evolution of martial arts novels as a dynamic cultural form in the digital age.

Remarks:

• Conducted in Cantonese.

• Free admission on first come, first served basis.

• Please arrive 15 minutes before commencement of the talk.

• If Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 or above or a Black Rainstorm Warning Signal or "extreme conditions" announced by the Government is in force 3 hours before the talk commences, the talk will be cancelled.