Best-selling martial arts novelist Louis Cha, better known by his pen name Jin Yong, died in Hong Kong on October 30 at the age of 94, according to South China Morning Post.
His son in law, Dr. Ng Waichong confirmed the death of the literary giant and said that he was surrounded by his family members when he passed away. Another Chinese writer Tao Jie, who was a friend of Cha's, revealed that he had “died with a smile on his face” while having a video call with family members and friends during his last moments.
Cha, who founded the Chinese newspaper Ming Pao, was best known for his Wuxia novels. The term 'Wuxia,' which literally translates as 'martial-art warriors,' is a literary genre that focuses on the chivalric tales of martial-art masters, most of whom possess superhuman powers.
Image via @电影朝圣/Weibo
A highly acclaimed and celebrated writer, with readers spanning generations, his death has stunned the Chinese-speaking world as tens of millions of fans around the globe mourn his death. Cha was the author of 15 best-selling Wuxia novels written between 1955 and 1972, including The Legend of the Condor Heroes, The Smiling, Proud Wanderer and The Deer and the Cauldron. More than 300 million copies of his works have been sold worldwide.
His books have also been adapted into a wide range of media such as TV dramas, video games and radio shows.
Image via toutiao.com
Celebrities and public figures across the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Taiwan and around the globe have expressed their gratitude for Cha's writings. Jack Ma, co-founder and executive chairman of the Alibaba Group, published an article praising Cha for his inspiring works. One of the lines in the piece reads: “If Mr. Cha had never lived, I’m not sure whether Alibaba would have existed at all.”
[Cover image via chinanews.com]
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