A cultural exchange event in honor of the 100th anniversary of Jin Yong's birth is held in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province on March 11. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A cultural exchange event in honor of the 100th anniversary of Jin Yong's birth took place in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province on March 11. Renowned experts and scholars as well as representatives of his fans from around the world gathered to pay tribute to the legend.

The year 2024 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Louis Cha Leung-yung, better known by his pen name Jin Yong, a contemporary martial arts novelist, journalist, and social activist, who is honored as one of the "Four Great Talents of Hong Kong".

As the most widely read Chinese author globally, Jin Yong stands out in the contemporary literary history of China, with his magnificent martial arts world and deeply ingrained patriotism and righteousness.

Jiaxing is the place where Jin was born and spent his childhood. The city also often appears in his works. As Lai Yingjie, deputy head of the Zhejiang Publicity Department, remarked at the event, "In Jin Yong's writings, Jiaxing is a unique landscape of the martial arts world."

Jiaxing's landscape features such as Nanhu Lake, Zuixianlou (Drunken Immortal Tower), and Fahua Temple, as well as local delicacies like Jiaxing Zongzi (rice dumplings) and Nanhu water chestnuts, have all been included by Jin Yong in his martial arts world.

During the event, Jiaxing globally published a series of landmark works including the homeland edition of The Book and the Sword and an AI promotional video titled "Jiaxing in Jin Yong's Works", which explores Jin's footprint in Zhejiang and reproduces his deep affection for his hometown.

The event also featured several spectacular performances, including a stage play, a martial arts show, and renditions of theme songs from classical TV series adapted from Jin's novels, allowing the audience to relive the martial arts world depicted by Jin Yong.

Furthermore, the event officially announced the start of multiple series of activities commemorating the 100th anniversary of Jin's birth. Jiaxing will conduct five major series of activities throughout the year, aiming to bring more people closer to Jin Yong and his martial arts world and to ignite a nationwide "Jin Yong fever".

These activities include a commemorative exhibition which opened on March 10, cultural salons to be held in late March, and film screenings during April and June. Moreover, a documentary about Jin Yong will be presented in March.