A Path To Glory, When the Ren Zhe Statue Greeted the Wuxia Jin Yong Universe in Jakarta

Linda Gallery presents an exhibition of Ren Zhe's statue entitled A Path To Glory in Jakarta, celebrating 100 years of wuxia maestro Jin Yong and the Rajawali Warrior Trilogy

Patung Ren Zhe - Tower of Strength di Townhall, IDD.

Indonesiasenang-, Jakarta has once again become a meeting space for classical Chinese arts and cultural literacy. Linda Gallery, one of the art galleries that consistently presents international exhibitions, presents A Path To Glory, a sculpture exhibition by young Chinese sculptor Ren Zhe, as part of the centenary of the birth of wuxia literary maestro Jin Yong. This exhibition will be held at Townhall IDD PIK 2 from 03 to 19 October 2025.

Jin Yong's name is almost impossible to miss in the Asian literary landscape. This writer from Hong Kong has written 15 works that highlight the world of silat (wuxia) with the horizons of Eastern philosophy. His legendary trilogy The Legend of the Condor Heroes, The Return of the Condor Heroes, and The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber or known as the Eagle Warrior Trilogy, have become popular culture icons across generations.

Jin Yong's stories are not only about sword duels or family grudges, but also about the value of courage, virtue, loyalty, and the search for identity. It is not surprising that his works have been adapted more than 130 times to the big screen and television, reaching global audiences from China, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. In their home country, surveys even record that 80-90% of residents have come into contact with Jin Yong's world, whether through books, films or TV series.

In A Path To Glory, Jin Yong's spirit finds a new body in Ren Zhe's contemporary sculptures. This graduate of the Tsinghua Academy of Fine Arts is known as a young sculptor with a strong visual language: dynamic postures, energy-filled gestures and detailed expressions that capture the soul of struggle.

Ren Zhe's work does not stop at the aesthetics of form. He encapsulated Confucian values such as courage, generosity, respect, and honesty into statues that felt alive. Through contemporary materials, he assembles a dialogue between tradition and modernity, East and West. Like the warriors of Jin Yong who are always at the crossroads of life, Ren Zhe's work seems to vibrate between the old and new worlds.

The theme of A Path To Glory itself finds its resonance with Jin Yong's work. “The path to glory” in wuxia is not just a matter of winning on the battlefield, but rather an inner journey to virtue and truth. With his statues, Ren Zhe transforms Jin Yong's narrative into a physical body: a form that can be touched, looked at, and impregnated.

In the context of Jin Yong's 100th anniversary celebration, this exhibition is more than just a fine arts event. It is a form of respect for an author who shapes the collective imagination of the Chinese world, as well as a bridge for the current generation to absorb the eternal value behind the stories of warriors.

Interestingly, Jin Yong's centenary celebrations not only resonate in Haining, the maestro's hometown, but are also present in Indonesia. The presence of A Path To Glory in Jakarta opens up opportunities for the Indonesian public who are also familiar with silat stories and heroic traditions to find cultural common ground.

Just like Jin Yong's work which crosses language boundaries, Ren Zhe's work also speaks a universal language, namely the language of struggle, the language of virtue, and the language of beauty.

In the shadows of the statues, it is as if we hear the echo of the voice of the Eagle warrior passing through the ages that true glory is not just a sword in hand, but a soul loyal to the truth. (knight; photo tcs)