The Return of the Condor Heroes
Encyclopedia
The Return of the Condor Heroes is a wuxia
novel by Jin Yong, and the second part of the Condor Trilogy
. It was first serialized between May 20, 1959 and July 5, 1961 on Ming Pao
. The story revolves around Yang Guo
and his lover Xiaolongnü
in their adventure in the wulin fraternity, which does not approve of their taboo love between master and apprentice. Alternate English titles are The Giant Eagle and Its Companion and Divine Eagle, Chivalric Companion.
Jin Yong revised the novel in 1970 and again in 2004. There are 40 chapters in the 2nd and 3rd revisions of the novel. Each chapter has a four-character title. Most of the revisions are either clarifications or minor alterations of character motivations.
, is the orphaned son of the antagonist, Yang Kang
, of the first novel. He is raised briefly by the couple Guo Jing
and Huang Rong
before being sent to the Quanzhen Sect
for better guidance in moral values and orthodox martial arts. At Quanzhen, Yang Guo is often picked on and bullied by his fellow students and his teacher Zhao Zhijing is biased against him. Yang Guo flees and ventures unknowingly into the nearby Tomb of the Living Dead, where the Ancient Tomb Sect
is housed. He is saved by Xiaolongnü
, a mysterious maiden of unknown origin, and becomes her disciple. They live together in the tomb for many years until Yang Guo grows up. After being attacked by Li Mochou, they leave the tomb and stay on the mountain. Xiaolongnü develops romantic feelings for Yang Guo and after a while, he too falls in love with her.
However, their love is forbidden by societal laws in the Confucianist
society of that time. Throughout the story, their love meets with several tests, such as the misunderstandings that threaten to tear them apart and the encounter with Gongsun Zhi. Finally, after their reunion and marriage, Xiaolongnü leaves Yang Guo again, owing to her belief she cannot recover from a fatal poison, and promises to meet him again sixteen years later. While Yang Guo is wandering the land alone, he meets several formidable pugilists and a giant Condor. His adventures gradually mould him into a courageous pugilist, whose prowess matches the Greats of his age. Yang Guo serves his nation by helping the Han Chinese
of Song
defeat the Mongol
invaders. At the end of the novel, he is finally reunited with Xiaolongnü and they are recognized as heroes.
Wuxia
Wuxia is a broad genre of Chinese fiction concerning the adventures of martial artists. Although wuxia is traditionally a form of literature, its popularity has caused it to spread to diverse art forms like Chinese opera, manhua , films, television series, and video games...
novel by Jin Yong, and the second part of the Condor Trilogy
Condor Trilogy
The Condor Trilogy is a trilogy of three wuxia novels by Jin Yong.The novels in the trilogy are:*The Legend of the Condor Heroes *The Return of the Condor Heroes...
. It was first serialized between May 20, 1959 and July 5, 1961 on Ming Pao
Ming Pao
Ming Pao is a Chinese language newspaper published by Ming Pao Group in Hong Kong. In the 1990s, Ming Pao established four overseas branches in North America, each provides independent reporting on local news and collect local advertisements. Currently, only the two Canadian editions remain: Ming...
. The story revolves around Yang Guo
Yang Guo
Yang Guo, style name Gaizhi , is the fictional protagonist of the wuxia novel The Return of the Condor Heroes by Jin Yong....
and his lover Xiaolongnü
Xiaolongnü
Xiaolongnü is the fictional female protagonist of Jin Yong's wuxia novel The Return of the Condor Heroes. The author describes her physical appearances as "skin as white as snow, beautiful and elegant beyond convention and cannot be underestimated, but appears cold and indifferent" .-Name:It is...
in their adventure in the wulin fraternity, which does not approve of their taboo love between master and apprentice. Alternate English titles are The Giant Eagle and Its Companion and Divine Eagle, Chivalric Companion.
Jin Yong revised the novel in 1970 and again in 2004. There are 40 chapters in the 2nd and 3rd revisions of the novel. Each chapter has a four-character title. Most of the revisions are either clarifications or minor alterations of character motivations.
Plot
The protagonist, Yang GuoYang Guo
Yang Guo, style name Gaizhi , is the fictional protagonist of the wuxia novel The Return of the Condor Heroes by Jin Yong....
, is the orphaned son of the antagonist, Yang Kang
Yang Kang
Yang Kang is the fictional antagonist and the foil to the protagonist, Guo Jing, in Jin Yong's wuxia novel The Legend of the Condor Heroes.-Birth and heritage:...
, of the first novel. He is raised briefly by the couple Guo Jing
Guo Jing
Guo Jing is the fictional protagonist of The Legend of the Condor Heroes, a wuxia novel by Jin Yong. He plays a supporting role in the sequel novel The Return of the Condor Heroes as well...
and Huang Rong
Huang Rong
Huang Rong is a fictional character in the wuxia novel The Legend of the Condor Heroes by Jin Yong. She plays a supporting role in the sequel The Return of the Condor Heroes.-Character description:...
before being sent to the Quanzhen Sect
Quanzhen School
The Quanzhen School of Taoism originated in Northern China. It was founded by the Taoist Wang Chongyang in the 12th century, during the rise of the Jin Dynasty...
for better guidance in moral values and orthodox martial arts. At Quanzhen, Yang Guo is often picked on and bullied by his fellow students and his teacher Zhao Zhijing is biased against him. Yang Guo flees and ventures unknowingly into the nearby Tomb of the Living Dead, where the Ancient Tomb Sect
Ancient Tomb Sect
The Ancient Tomb Sect is a fictional Chinese martial arts sect featured in Jin Yong's wuxia novel The Return of the Condor Heroes. It plays a significant role in the character development of the protagonists, Yang Guo and Xiaolongnü...
is housed. He is saved by Xiaolongnü
Xiaolongnü
Xiaolongnü is the fictional female protagonist of Jin Yong's wuxia novel The Return of the Condor Heroes. The author describes her physical appearances as "skin as white as snow, beautiful and elegant beyond convention and cannot be underestimated, but appears cold and indifferent" .-Name:It is...
, a mysterious maiden of unknown origin, and becomes her disciple. They live together in the tomb for many years until Yang Guo grows up. After being attacked by Li Mochou, they leave the tomb and stay on the mountain. Xiaolongnü develops romantic feelings for Yang Guo and after a while, he too falls in love with her.
However, their love is forbidden by societal laws in the Confucianist
Confucianism
Confucianism is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system developed from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius . Confucianism originated as an "ethical-sociopolitical teaching" during the Spring and Autumn Period, but later developed metaphysical and cosmological elements in the Han...
society of that time. Throughout the story, their love meets with several tests, such as the misunderstandings that threaten to tear them apart and the encounter with Gongsun Zhi. Finally, after their reunion and marriage, Xiaolongnü leaves Yang Guo again, owing to her belief she cannot recover from a fatal poison, and promises to meet him again sixteen years later. While Yang Guo is wandering the land alone, he meets several formidable pugilists and a giant Condor. His adventures gradually mould him into a courageous pugilist, whose prowess matches the Greats of his age. Yang Guo serves his nation by helping the Han Chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
of Song
Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
defeat the Mongol
Mongols
Mongols ) are a Central-East Asian ethnic group that lives mainly in the countries of Mongolia, China, and Russia. In China, ethnic Mongols can be found mainly in the central north region of China such as Inner Mongolia...
invaders. At the end of the novel, he is finally reunited with Xiaolongnü and they are recognized as heroes.
Characters
- Yang GuoYang GuoYang Guo, style name Gaizhi , is the fictional protagonist of the wuxia novel The Return of the Condor Heroes by Jin Yong....
(楊過) (b. 1224) – the son of Yang KangYang KangYang Kang is the fictional antagonist and the foil to the protagonist, Guo Jing, in Jin Yong's wuxia novel The Legend of the Condor Heroes.-Birth and heritage:...
and Mu NianciMu NianciMu Nianci is a character in Jin Yong's wuxia novel The Legend of the Condor Heroes. She is the love interest of the primary antagonist Yang Kang and the mother of Yang Guo, the protagonist of the sequel novel The Return of the Condor Heroes...
. He is handsome and intelligent, but unbridled and arrogant. As a youth, he opposes societal laws and traditional customs and ideas, and is determined to marry his teacher even though their marriage is seen as equivalent to incest. After the loss of his right arm, he becomes an even more powerful pugilist than before. He roams the jianghu and earns the respect of many through his acts of chivalry and righteousness, as well as the title of "Condor Hero" (神雕俠).
- XiaolongnüXiaolongnüXiaolongnü is the fictional female protagonist of Jin Yong's wuxia novel The Return of the Condor Heroes. The author describes her physical appearances as "skin as white as snow, beautiful and elegant beyond convention and cannot be underestimated, but appears cold and indifferent" .-Name:It is...
(小龍女) (b. 1220) – Yang Guo's lover and teacher. She is a beautiful maiden independent of all worldly traits. After many years of living together, she gradually falls in love with Yang but they are unable to be together as lovers. They roam the jianghu and encounter all sorts of tests of their love before eventually being reunited as a couple at the end of the novel.
- Guo JingGuo JingGuo Jing is the fictional protagonist of The Legend of the Condor Heroes, a wuxia novel by Jin Yong. He plays a supporting role in the sequel novel The Return of the Condor Heroes as well...
(郭靖) (1205–1273) – the sworn brother of Yang Guo's father. He is a formidable pugilist and highly respected in the wulinJianghuThe jianghu is the milieu, environment, or sub-community, often fictional, in which many Chinese wuxia stories are set.In modern Chinese culture, jianghu is commonly accepted as an alternative universe coexisting with the actual historical one in which the context of the wuxia genre was set...
for his acts of righteousness and heroism. He takes the lead in the defence of the city of XiangyangXiangyangXiangzhou District is a district of Xiangyang, Hubei, China. The district itself was formerly known as Xiangyang. It was a city famous for the Siege of Xiangyang by invading forces of the Mongol-founded Yuan Dynasty...
from the Mongol invaders. He dotes on Yang Guo and hopes that the boy will become a great hero one day.
- Huang RongHuang RongHuang Rong is a fictional character in the wuxia novel The Legend of the Condor Heroes by Jin Yong. She plays a supporting role in the sequel The Return of the Condor Heroes.-Character description:...
(黃蓉) (1208–1273) – the wife of Guo Jing. She is intelligent and resourceful, specializing in the art of laying formations and many other fields, besides being an accomplished pugilist herself. She is also the chief of the Beggars' SectBeggars' SectThe Beggars' Sect is a fictional Chinese martial arts sect featured prominently in works of wuxia fiction by writers such as Jin Yong and Gu Long. The sect has also found its way into some Hong Kong martial arts films such as King of Beggars....
and plays a supportive role to her husband in the defence of Xiangyang. She does not like nor trust Yang Guo initially as she feels that Yang bears an uncanny resemblance to his late father.
Films
| Year | | Production | | Yang Guo | | Xiaolongnü | | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | Emei Film Company (Hong Kong) |
Patrick Tse | Nam Hung | See The Story of the Great Heroes The Story of the Great Heroes The Story of the Great Heroes, also known as The Great Heroes, is a four-part Hong Kong film adapted from Louis Cha's novel The Return of the Condor Heroes... |
| 1982 | Shaw Brothers Studio Shaw Brothers Studio The Shaw Brothers Studio , owned by Shaw Brothers Ltd., was the foremost and the largest movie production company of Hong Kong movies.From their distribution base in Singapore where they founded parent company Shaw Organization in 1924, and as a strategic development of their movie distribution... (Hong Kong) |
Alexander Fu Alexander Fu Sheng Alexander Fu Sheng was a major Hong Kong martial arts film star in the 1970s.-Biography:... |
N/A | See The Brave Archer and His Mate The Brave Archer and His Mate The Brave Archer and His Mate, also known as The Brave Archer 4 or Mysterious Island, is a 1982 Hong Kong film adapted from Louis Cha's novels The Legend of the Condor Heroes and The Return of the Condor Heroes... |
| 1983 | Leslie Cheung Leslie Cheung Leslie Cheung Kwok-Wing , nicknamed elder brother , was a film actor and musician from Hong Kong. Cheung was considered as "one of the founding fathers of Cantopop", and "combining a hugely successful film and music career".In 2000, Cheung was named Asian Biggest Superstar by China Central... |
Mary Jean Reimer Mary Jean Reimer Mary Jean Reimer is a Hong Kong solicitor also known as actress Yung Jing-Jing .... |
See Little Dragon Maiden Little Dragon Maiden Little Dragon Maiden, also known as The Brave Archer 5, is a 1983 Hong Kong film adapted from Louis Cha's novel The Return of the Condor Heroes... |
Television
| Year | | Production | | Yang Guo | | Xiaolongnü | | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | CTV (Hong Kong) | Law Lok-lam | Lee Tong-ming | See The Return of the Condor Heroes (1976 TV series) The Return of the Condor Heroes (1976 TV series) The Return of the Condor Heroes is a Hong Kong television series adapted from Louis Cha's novel of the same title. It was first broadcast on CTV in 1976 in Hong Kong.-Cast:*Law Lok-lam as Yeung Kuo**Tsui Ka-lam as young Yeung Kuo... |
| 1983 | TVB Television Broadcasts Limited Television Broadcasts Limited, commonly known as TVB, is the second over-the-air commercial television station in Hong Kong. It commenced broadcasting on 19 November 1967... (Hong Kong) |
Andy Lau Andy Lau Andy Lau MH, JP is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer, actor, and film producer. Lau has been one of Hong Kong's most commercially successful film actors since the mid-1980s, performing in more than 160 films while maintaining a successful singing career at the same time... |
Idy Chan Idy Chan Idy Chan Yuk Lin is a popular Hong Kong TV actress, especially during the 1980s.-Career:She joined showbiz when she was 17 in 1977. She is most famous for her portrayal of three of the characters from The Condor Trilogy; her heavenly role of Xiaolongnü along with Andy Lau as Yang Guo in the 1983... |
See The Return of the Condor Heroes (1983 TV series) The Return of the Condor Heroes (1983 TV series) The Return of the Condor Heroes is a Hong Kong television series adapted from Louis Cha's novel of the same title. It was first broadcast on TVB in 1983 in Hong Kong.-Cast:*Andy Lau as Yeung Kuo*Idy Chan as Siu-lung-noi*Bryan Leung as Kwok Ching... |
| 1984 | CTV China Television China Television Company, Ltd. was established on September 3, 1968 by the then-ruling Nationalist Party of the Republic of China . The party owned the majority stake of the network... (Taiwan) |
Meng Fei | Angela Pan | See The Return of the Condor Heroes (1984 TV series) The Return of the Condor Heroes (1984 TV series) The Return of the Condor Heroes is a Taiwanese television series adapted from Louis Cha's novel of the same title. It was first broadcast on CTV in 1984 in Taiwan.-Cast:*Meng Fei as Yang Guo**Kuo Hui-wen as young Yang Guo*Angela Pan as Xiaolongnü... |
| 1995 | TVB (Hong Kong) | Louis Koo Louis Koo Louis Koo is a Hong Kong actor. He was once a notable local television series actor, winning TVB's Best Actor award in 1999 for Detective Investigation Files IV. In recent years, he has focused on film... |
Carman Lee | See The Condor Heroes 95 The Condor Heroes 95 The Condor Heroes 95 is a Hong Kong television series adapted from Louis Cha's novel The Return of the Condor Heroes. It was first broadcast on TVB in Hong Kong in 1995. Many of the cast from The Legend of the Condor Heroes reprised their roles in the series, such as Lau Dan and Wayne Lai... |
| 1998 | MediaCorp MediaCorp Media Corporation of Singapore, better known as MediaCorp, is a group of commercial media companies in Singapore, with business interests in television and radio broadcasting, interactive media, and, to a lesser extent, print publishing and film-making.... (Singapore) |
Christopher Lee Christopher Lee (Singaporean actor) Christopher Lee , born Lee Meng Soon, is a Singapore-based Malaysian Chinese film and television actor, host and singer.-Early life:Lee studied up to form 5 in Sekolah Menangah Seri Kota, Air Leleh, Malacca, Malaysia... |
Fann Wong Fann Wong Fann Woon Fong , better known by her stage name Fann Wong, is a Singaporean actress, singer and model.At Singapore's Star Awards 1995, Fann became the first actress to win both the Best Actress and Best Newcomer awards in the same year... |
See The Return of the Condor Heroes (Singaporean TV series) |
| TTV Taiwan Television Taiwan Television Enterprise, Ltd. , commonly known as TTV is launched), is the first television broadcast station in Taiwan... (Taiwan) |
Richie Ren Richie Ren Richie Jen is a Taiwanese singer and actor. He has become extremely popular throughout Asia, particularly in the Chinese-speaking countries. He graduated from the Chinese Culture University's physical education department.-Films:... |
Jacklyn Wu | See The Return of the Condor Heroes (TTV) The Return of the Condor Heroes (TTV) The Return of the Condor Heroes is a Taiwanese television series adapted from Louis Cha's novel of the same title. It was first broadcast on TTV in 1998 in Taiwan.-Cast:*Richie Ren as Yang Guo*Jacklyn Wu as Xiaolongnü*Sun Xing as Guo Jing... |
|
| 2001 | Nippon Animation Nippon Animation is a Japanese animation studio. The company is headquartered in Tokyo, with chief offices in the Ginza district of Chūō and production facilities in Tama City.... (Japan) |
Daisuke Namikawa Daisuke Namikawa is a Japanese voice actor who is affiliated with Across Entertainment.He started acting in 1984. He is sometimes mistaken for fellow voice actor Daisuke Hirakawa, as their names only differ by one character when written in kanji. Despite his wide range of voice casting, he is usually cast as young,... |
Mie Sonozaki Mie Sonozaki is a Japanese voice actress and singer represented by Remax.-Television animation:* Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto * Beyblade 2002 * Bleach * Burst Angel * Comic Party... |
See The Legend of Condor Hero |
| 2006 | Ciwen Film & TV Production Co. Ltd. (Mainland China) | Huang Xiaoming Huang Xiaoming Huang Xiaoming is a mainland Chinese actor, singer, and model. He is often referred to as China's "number one heartthrob" or "number one young male"... |
Liu Yifei Liu Yifei Liu Yifei is a Chinese actress and singer. Her legal name is Liu Ximeizi. The "茜" is from the German film Sissi .-Early life and education:Born in Tongji Hospital in Hubei, she was originally named An Feng... |
See The Return of the Condor Heroes (2006 TV series) The Return of the Condor Heroes (2006 TV series) The original soundtrack was released on 13 May 2006 from Rock Records Co., LTD . There are two versions of the soundtrack. The mainland Chinese release contains a total of 15 tracks while the Taiwanese release includes two bonus tracks... |
Comics
- Asiapac Books Pte Ltd acquired the rights to produce an illustrated version of the novel in 1995. The 18 volume comic series was illustrated by Wee Tian Beng and translated by Jean Lim with Jin Yong's approval. The lavishly illustrated series won the Prestigious Award in 1997 during the Asian Comics Conference held in South Korea. There are also cute gag strips that poke gentle fun at some of the story's events.
- In 2002, ComicsOneComicsOneComics One was an American distributor of Asian Comics , established in 1999. ComicsOne was based in Fremont, California...
published the first official English translation of Legendary Couple, a retelling of the novel. The comic series was illustrated by Wong Yuk-long while Jin Yong was credited as the writer.
Video games
- SoftworldSoftworldSoft-World International Corp is a major games distributor/developer in Taiwan and mainland China, based in Taipei, Taiwan. Founded in 1983 and now public, Softworld currently focuses on MMOG operation in Taiwan and mainland China....
released a RPG based on the novel for DOSDOSDOS, short for "Disk Operating System", is an acronym for several closely related operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market between 1981 and 1995, or until about 2000 if one includes the partially DOS-based Microsoft Windows versions 95, 98, and Millennium Edition.Related...
. The game is only available in Chinese and covers the first half of the novel to the point where Yang Guo meets the Condor.
External links
The Return of the Condor Heroes on Baidu BaikeBaidu Baike
Baidu Encyclopedia is a Chinese language collaborative Web-based encyclopedia provided by the Chinese search engine Baidu. Like Baidu itself, the encyclopedia is heavily self-censored in line with government regulations....