by Jin Yong
P. 388 GHOSTS OF IMPERMANENCE
Two deities in charge of escorting the spirits of the dead to the underworld, sometimes also called Black and White Impermanence.
P. 406 ZHENG ZITHER
A traditional Chinese plucked-string musical instrument with moveable bridges. The number of strings varied over time, from twelve strings in the fifth century to the twenty-one strings of the most common version played today. The body – the resonating chamber – tends to be made of wood.
P. 409 QINGYU HALF TONE
Traditionally, the Chinese musical scale is pentatonic, with only five notes per octave: Gong (do), Shang (re), Jue (mi), Zhi (so), Yu (la), with Yu being the highest note of the sequence. Qingyu is half a tonic note above Yu; it is part of the seven-note-per-octave heptatonic scale. For example, if Gong is middle C and Yu is A, then Qingyu is A sharp.
P. 434 SILK AND BAMBOO
Two major families of traditional Chinese musical instruments – stringed instruments, with strings traditionally made of silk, and a variety of flutes and pipes, mostly crafted from bamboo, similar to the category of woodwind in Western orchestras.
P. 484 THE HEAVENS / THE UNDERWORLD
The Chinese cosmos is made up of three realms: the heavens, where gods and celestial beings hold court; earth, where deities and mortals live; and the underworld, where the souls of the deceased go.
Unlike the Christian Hell, which is a place of perpetual punishment, the “life” led by the dead in the Chinese underworld is believed to be similar to their corporeal self, with the same needs for food, money, clothing and housing.
Depending how far one reaches back in history and one’s belief, the underworld may differ somewhat. However, there is usually an element of where the soul will be judged or assessed by how virtuous one has lived. This decides where the soul goes next: ascend to the heavens and join the ranks of gods; or face reincarnation, where the soul becomes human again, perhaps, or may become an animal.
During the judgment process, the soul may face punishment – sometimes grisly – for crimes committed when alive. Nevertheless, the majority of souls, at some point, leave the underworld to begin a new life in the earthly realm; only a select few are granted a place with the celestial beings in the heavens and transcend this cycle.
JIN YONG (1924–2018) (pen name of Louis Cha) is a true phenomenon in the Chinese-speaking world. Born in Mainland China, he spent most of his life writing novels and editing newspapers in Hong Kong. His enormously popular martial arts novels, written between the late 1950s and 1972, have become modern classics and remain a must-read for young readers looking for danger and adventure. They have also inspired countless T.V. and video game adaptions. His death in October 2018 was met with tributes from around the globe.
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Estimated sales of his books worldwide stand at 300 million, and if bootleg copies are taken into consideration, that figure rises to a staggering one billion. International recognition came in the form of an O.B.E. in 1981, a Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur (1992), a Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur (2004), an honorary fellowship at St Antony’s College, Oxford, and honorary doctorates from Hong Kong University and Cambridge University, among others.
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GIGI CHANG translates from Chinese into English. Her translations include classical Chinese dramas for the Royal Shakespeare Company and contemporary Chinese plays for London’s Royal Court Theatre, Hong Kong Arts Festival and Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre.
The Next Two Volumes of Legends of the Condor Heroes
VOLUME III: A SNAKE LIES WAITING
Guo Jing is faced with the evil plotting of Venom of the West Viper Ouyang, who is determined to become the most powerful Master of the wulin and win Lotus Huang for his nephew Gallant Ouyang. The full extent of Yang Kang’s treachery is also revealed.
VOLUME IV: A HEART DIVIDED
Guo Jing’s love for Lotus Huang is tested when he becomes convinced that her father has murdered someone dear to him. Upon his return to Mongolia, he discovers Genghis Khan wants to enlist him to help conquer the Chinese. Guo Jing must prove his loyalty to the country of his birth if he is to be worthy of bearing the name of his patriot father, Skyfury Guo.