“Showcasing the beauty of traditional performing arts, immersing the audience in the atmosphere of opera to experience a theatre of light, sound, and scenery.” — Wu Meng-qing, Sing Tao Daily

“A live immersive experience—sound effects, lighting design, and vocal artistry fully engage the audience, leaving them with an unforgettable impression!” — Stephen Chan, Veteran Hong Kong Media Professional and Chief Advisor of Commercial Radio Hong Kong

“The skilled technique of the performers is enhanced by state-of-the-art sound and image design. The arts tech elements are awe-inspiring and really bring the story to life.” —Professor Joanna Mansbridge, Associate Professor at The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Those who seek divine combat skills must first castrate themselves. The undefeatable cult leader is also an obsessive lover who would give up power for attractive men. During his conquest of the martial arts world, Dongfang Bubai has transformed from sheng (male) to dan (female). Is he really invincible?

Linghu Chong is punished with temporary exile at a cliff to reflect on his acquaintance with evil schools. In a cave, he discovers that evil swordsmen had deciphered the secret technique of his own school and loses his faith in the Mount Hua School. At this moment of doubt he meets Feng Qingyang, a senior at Mount Hua School who coaches his swordplay, and eventually masters the all-powerful Nine Swords of Dugu!

Read-singing in Naamyam Jin Yong’s classic wuxia novel The Smiling, Proud Wanderer. Narrating brutal bloodsheds, singing about favours and grudges in the martial arts world.

Read-singing in Naamyam Jin Yong’s classic wuxia novel The Smiling, Proud Wanderer. Narrating brutal bloodsheds, singing about favours and grudges in the martial arts world.

The Smiling, Proud Wanderer is the thirteenth martial arts novel by Jin Yong, and was first serialised in the daily newspaper Ming Pao from 1967 to 1969. The novel features a rollercoaster plot and characters with distinct and vivid personalities: Linghu Chong, who is upright and unconcerned with conventions; Ren Yingying, who is intelligent and capricious in her devotion; Yue Buqun, who is sinister and hypocritical; Ren Woxing, who is defiant and cunning; Dongfang Bubai, who is unmatched and sensually alluring… The character portrayals are vivid and engaging, making them fondly remembered by readers. The novel has been adapted into various films and television dramas, including versions created by well-known directors such as Tsui Hark and Ching Siu-tung, and it has also been adapted for radio dramas, mobile, and computer games among other multimedia formats.

The novel depicts the most genuine yet ugly sides of human nature, where so-called reputable martial arts sects are filled with despicable characters, while the unorthodox factions also have their share of heroic personalities. Everyone in the martial world is duplicitous, competing for the Evil-Resisting Swordplay Manuscript and fighting for power and profit through the ages. Linghu Chong, the leading disciple of the Huashan Sect, is a carefree soul wandering the martial arts world but repeatedly facing sinister schemes, killings, and bloodshed. In the martial arts world where the lines between good and evil are hard to draw, Linghu Chong endures many hardships, remains steadfast to his sense of justice, and ultimately, hand in hand with Ren Yingying, leaves the mundane world behind to smile proudly in the face of life’s challenges.

Jin Yong (1924-2018), born Cha Liangyong (aka Louis Cha), is a Hong Kong literary giant, martial arts novelist, and the founder of the newspaper Ming Pao. Starting from the 1950s, under the pen name Jin Yong, he created fifteen popular martial arts novels including famous titles such as The Return of the Condor Heroes, Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, and The Smiling, Proud Wanderer. His works are both literary and entertaining, blending elements of martial arts, mystery, romance, and history, while also reflecting ancient Chinese culture, art, philosophical thoughts, and even knowledge of astronomy and geography. Besides, these novels are rich in plot and diverse in character portrayal, with frequent connections between different works, appealing to a wide range of readers.

Over the years, his works have been adapted into TV dramas, movies, video games, and other media formats, and have been translated into English, French, Korean, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, and other languages, contributing significantly to the promotion of Chinese culture overseas. There’s a saying, “Wherever there are Chinese people, Jin Yong’s world of martial arts can be found.”

Jin Yong’s depiction of the “jianghu” (martial arts world) has inspired countless readers, making his works a precious legacy in the Chinese literary world. On the occasion of Jin Yong’s centennial, Zuni pays tribute to the world-famous literary giant of martial arts through a combination of traditional and modern performing arts forms.

The project’s first presentation was in 2024 and is funded under the Arts Technology Funding Pilot Scheme by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

Zuni Icosahedron reserves the right to add, withdraw or substitute artists and/ or vary advertised programmes and seating arrangements.