Jin Yong’s Former Residence, nestled in the picturesque Xinwei Village of Yuanhua Town in Haining City, is not only the birthplace but also the former home of the celebrated martial arts novelist Jin Yong. Known for its enchanting landscapes, Yuanhua has earned the moniker ‘Town of Gardens’. The town is cradled against the verdant Maozhu Mountain, with the Flower Stream Bridge, bathed in the morning light, gracefully arching over the meandering Huaxi River, adding a quiet charm to the flowing waters. The ancient Huaxi Street, flanked by blooming flowers and shaded by verdant trees, paints a rich tapestry of a quintessential Jiangnan water town.
The Cha family, to which Jin Yong’s Former Residence belongs, is part of the Xinwei Cha Family in Yuanhua. During the Qing Dynasty, the Cha family was renowned for having ‘ten scholars in one family, three brothers as Hanlin scholars’. Emperor Kangxi extolled them as ‘a great family since the Tang and Song dynasties, one of the few in Jiangnan’. From afar, the residence is marked by its white walls and grey bricks. The ‘Gallant Seventy-Two’ corridor, inspired by Jin Yong’s works, is the first feature that captures one’s attention upon arrival. A right turn leads to the study room, Hexing House, and further west lies the ‘Into Jin Yong’ exhibition hall.
Born in 1924 in Yuanhua, Haining, Zhejiang, Jin Yong, whose real name is Zha Liangyong, was an exceptional student from a young age. Amidst the chaos of war, he followed his school into exile, embarking on a journey that spanned thousands of miles to Hong Kong. There, he established the ‘Ming Pao’ newspaper on this unique piece of land, eventually becoming a newspaper magnate.Over the span of 17 years, Jin Yong published an impressive collection of fifteen medium to long novels, which were compiled into thirty-six volumes and clocked in at a staggering eleven million words. Among these works is the renowned ‘Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils’. His novels have captured the hearts of readers worldwide, achieving bestseller status and amassing a readership in the hundreds of millions—a truly rare phenomenon in the literary world. This has earned Jin Yong the well-deserved reputation of a literary master.
The visiting hours for the entire text are as follows: it is open to the public all year round from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Please note that the specific business status may vary depending on the daily opening conditions.
