Known to millions by his pen name Jin Yong, Dr Louis Cha grew up in a literary atmosphere in a well-respected family in Haining of Zhejiang Province. He carved out his career in Hong Kong after moving from Mainland China in 1948, and made his name as a writer, journalist and essayist. He earned his reputation as a novelist by publishing 15 wuxia epics as newspaper serials between 1955 and 1972. After publishing his final novel, he started editing and revising all of his works. The herculean task took him over a decade to complete, and reflected on his seriousness in regard to his own oeuvres.

Jin Yong’s novels were written at a time when popular culture began to take shape in Hong Kong. The sagas of heroes and heroines were so well-loved that countless adaptations were made into movies, radio dramas and television series, and made his novels a household name. For the past twenty years or so his works were also extensively adapted into video games and conjured up a virtual world for avatars to explore the classic martial arts skills and heroic stories invented by the writer.

The distinctive socio-cultural environment here in Hong Kong has provided Jin Yong the room and freedom to write novels in an inimitable style with gripping plots. Indeed, it is a great honour that a special bond has originated from Hong Kong and reached out to Chinese readers around the world based on our shared love for his works. The setting up of the permanent Jin Yong Gallery in Hong Kong, therefore, brings us a profound sense of meaning.

With the huge support of Dr Cha and his family, Hong Kong Heritage Museum consecrated the Jin Yong Gallery in 2013, which was unveiled on 1 March 2017. Materials in this collection mainly draw from Jin Yong Gallery in Hong Kong Heritage Museum, and also from the collections of Hong Kong Public Libraries, as well as valuable materials provided by various organisations and individuals. Through this collection, it is hoped that the public can get to know more about Dr Cha’s early career, the creative process behind, and the impact of his novels on popular culture in Hong Kong, and at the same time to pay tribute and remembrance to Jin Yong.