Jin Yong, pen name of Louis Cha Leung-Yung (b. 6 February 1924) is a modern Chinese-language writer of swordsman (martial arts) fiction. Born in Haining (Zhejiang Province), Jin Yong was an avid reader of literature from an early age, especially wuxia (swordsman genre) and classical fiction. He was admitted to the Faculty of Foreign Languages of the Central University in Chongqing, and later transferred to the Faculty of Law at Dongwu University in Shanghai in 1946 to major in international law. In 1948, Jin Yong was posted to the Hong Kong division of the Dagong Daily as a copyeditor, and he has resided in Hong Kong ever since. Jin Yong began working on his first swordsman novel The Book and the Sword in 1955, and completed his last work The Deer and the Cauldron in 1972, after which he officially retired from writing. While active, he wrote a total of fifteen pieces, which earned him a reputation as one of the finest writers of swordsman fiction ever. His works feature rich content with many unexpected ups and downs, and each novel is always filled with chivalry, touching love stories, and martial arts tricks. All of his novels have since been adapted into films, television series, and radio series numerous times, cementing his popularity and winning him several generations of fans. Jin Yong was actively involved in academics and politics, and was once a member of the Hong Kong Basic Law Drafting Committee. For his achievements, he has received many honorary titles, such as Honorary Professor at Peking University, Honorary Dean of the Faculty of Humanities of Zhejiang University, as well as Honorary Fellow of the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge.
