War, love, and betrayal: The epic tale of the “Legend of the Condor Heroes” - Gladys Mac

In the late 1950s, Hong Kong

citizens flocked to newsstands to pick up the latest edition

of the Commercial Daily. But not all readers were looking

for timely news. Many were following a story set

hundreds of years in the past— a tale of adventure and war,

romance and intrigue, brotherhood and betrayal. Serialized from 1957 to 1959,

Jin Yong’s “Legend of the Condor Heroes” is the first book in Jin’s

beloved Condor Trilogy. This multigenerational epic is considered one of the most important

works of Chinese fiction— and one of the finest wuxia stories

ever written. Wuxia, roughly translated

as “martial hero,” is a popular genre of Chinese fiction with

roots in folktales over 1,500 years old. Wuxia stories generally focus

on nomadic martial artists bound to an honorable code of chivalry. These heroes travel through a mythologized

version of ancient China called jianghu, full of powerful leaders, roaming bandits,

and mystical artifacts. To face these challenges, wuxia heroes must learn

superhuman feats of martial arts from ancient scrolls

and reclusive immortal masters. “Legend of the Condor Heroes”

blends this martial arts action with pivotal Chinese history. The book is set in the 13th century, amidst a century-long war

between the Jurchen Jin dynasty and the Han Chinese Song Dynasty. Roughly 70 years into the conflict, a new enemy has joined the fray:

Genghis Khan. The Mongols threaten

to topple both empires, and raids by all parties

wreak havoc across the continent. The novel begins in a Han village, where two expecting fathers are binding

their unborn children as blood brothers. The children’s names—

Guo Jing and Yang Kang— were engraved on a pair of daggers. But a sudden Jurchen raid

scatters the families. Guo Jing grows up amongst the Mongols,

yet remains loyal to his Han heritage. Meanwhile, Jurchen royalty raise

Yang Kang as a scheming prince— setting the stage

for the brothers’ tragic conflict. Jin’s novel follows the naive

but kind-hearted Guo Jing and his clever lover Huang Rong. Their journey takes them to the bustling

Song capital of Hangzhou, the harsh Mongol steppes,

and the fabled market city of Samarkand. Our heroes traverse through jianghu, encountering colorful characters,

and witnessing key historical events. As they battle enemies, discover treasure,

and help solve local crimes, their martial arts skills

grow more legendary— preparing Guo Jing

for his fated confrontation. The novel showcases over 80

unique styles of martial arts, ranging from realistic techniques

to almost mystical maneuvers. But even seemingly simple moves

have surprising depth. To master a technique that will allow him

to perform two attacks at once, Guo Jing must first learn to

simultaneously draw a circle with one hand and a square with the other. This kind of deceptively

difficult tutelage torments wuxia students and readers alike. Jin Yong was the pen name of Louis Cha, a journalist and founder

of Ming Pao Daily News. In the 1960s and 70s, wuxia was banned

for its feudal associations. But in Hong Kong,

a British colony at the time, Cha could write fiction and cover news

about the Cultural Revolution freely. He even worked to add depth

and complexity to a genre often considered

formulaic and lowbrow. “Legend of the Condor Heroes”

celebrates Chinese identity by exploring China’s culture and history

with intimate humanity. Even though Jin’s books

were banned in China, his work still found Chinese readers

around the globe, and bootleg versions even

made their way to the mainland. When the Chinese government

relaxed its policies in the 1980s, his novels found an eager audience. Today, Jin Yong’s works have been adapted

into film, television, and video games. His novels are so beloved

it has been said, “where there are Chinese people,

there must be Jin Yong’s fiction.” However, this literary titan remains

relatively unknown in the West, due to the difficulties of translation and the high level of Chinese cultural

knowledge his works demand. Fortunately, recent English translations

of the “Legend of the Condor Heroes” are helping a new generation of readers experience the sweeping saga

of the rivers and lakes.