Liang Yusheng

Liang Yusheng (April 5, 1924 - January 22, 2009), whose real name is Chen Wentong, is a Hong Kong martial arts novel writer and is known as the originator of "new martial arts novels". His debut novel "Dragon and Tiger Fighting Beijing" was published in 1954, which launched a new school of martial arts creation. Together with Jin Yong and Gu Long, he is known as the three masters of Chinese martial arts novels in the 20th century. His writing career lasted for more than thirty years, and he has completed a total of thirty-five martial arts novels, including classics such as "The Legend of the White-Haired Witch", "The Shadow of the Shadow", and "Seven Swordsmen Down the Mountain", with a total word count of over 10 million, as well as many essays, couplets and reviews. His works are famous for their integration of Chinese historical background, traditional poetry and the literati spirit of "conquering martial arts with chivalry". They are deeply loved by readers and have far-reaching influence. Liang Yusheng graduated from the Economics Department of Lingnan University in his early years. He moved to Hong Kong in 1949 and first served as editor of "Ta Kung Pao" and later as supplement editor of "New Evening News". In 1954, inspired by the martial arts competition between the Tai Chi sect and the White Crane sect in Hong Kong, he began writing martial arts novels at the invitation of Luo Fu, the editor-in-chief of the New Evening News, creating a new martial arts style with historical background and emphasis on literature. He announced that he would stop writing in 1984 and immigrated to Sydney, Australia in 1987. He converted to Christianity in his later years and devoted himself to religious and literary research. He died of illness in Sydney on January 22, 2009 and was buried in Macquarie Park Cemetery. Jin Yong wrote an elegiac couplet for him: "A good friend who is also crazy, chivalrous and literary" and spoke highly of his character and literary achievements. Liang Yusheng's literary contributions were widely recognized, and Lingnan University in Hong Kong awarded him an honorary doctorate in literature in 2004 in recognition of his influence on Chinese literature. His hometown, Mengshan County, Guangxi, and Southern Metropolis Daily established the "Liang Yusheng Literary Award" in 2018 to commemorate his achievements and promote martial arts literature. Scholars generally believe that Liang Yusheng and Jin Yong jointly laid the foundation for the new school of martial arts, but they have different styles: Liang's works focus on historical research and traditional poetic conception, while Jin Yong incorporates Western narrative techniques. The two complement each other and promote the modernization of martial arts novels.