Photo: user:S19991002 / CC BY-SA 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Jin Yong was born on March 10, 1924 in Haining, People's Republic of China. Jin Yong was a writer, screenwriter and journalist. Death is recorded on October 30, 2018, at the age of 94. Education on record includes University of Cambridge. Awards on record include Knight of the Legion of Honour, Grand Bauhinia Medal, Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres and 4 more.
My Take
To me, Jin Yong is less a writer than a whole imaginative universe. The wuxia worlds of Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils and The Legend of the Condor Heroes gave generations a shared mythology of honor, loyalty and bittersweet love. What fascinates me most is the duality of the man: a co-founder of Ming Pao who shaped public discourse with one hand while spinning sweeping romances with the other. The hundred-million-plus copies almost understate his reach. I admire how his characters carry a moral spine without ever turning preachy, and that quiet integrity is exactly why his stories keep being reread.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Jin Yong
- Name (Japanese)
- 金庸
- Born
- March 10, 1924 – October 30, 2018
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Pisces / Rat
- Origin
- Haining, People's Republic of China
- Occupation
- writer / screenwriter / journalist / novelist / newspaper proprietor
2. Background
- University
- University of Cambridge
Awards & achievements
- Knight of the Legion of Honour
- Grand Bauhinia Medal
- Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres
- 1981 Officer of the Order of the British Empire
- honorary doctor of the University of Hong Kong
- 2008 honorary doctor of the Soochow University
- honorary doctor of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University
3. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils | — | |
| Notable work | The Return of the Condor Heroes | — | |
| Notable work | The Smiling, Proud Wanderer | — | |
| Notable work | The Legend of the Condor Heroes | — |
4. Links
- Official sitehttps://www.jinyong.com/
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jin%20Yong
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%87%91%E5%BA%B8
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q180626
5. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-21
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Jin Yong born?
Born March 10, 1924.
When did Jin Yong die?
Died October 30, 2018, aged 94.
Where was Jin Yong from?
Jin Yong was from Haining, People's Republic of China.
What did Jin Yong do?
Jin Yong worked as writer, screenwriter, journalist, novelist, newspaper proprietor.
What was Jin Yong known for?
Notable works include Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, The Return of the Condor Heroes, The Smiling, Proud Wanderer.
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