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Huang Rong is a fictional female protagonist in the
wuxia ( ), which literally means "martial heroes", is a genre of Chinese fiction concerning the adventures of martial artists in ancient China. Although is traditionally a form of historical fiction, its popularity has caused it to be adapted ...
novel ''
The Legend of the Condor Heroes ''The Legend of the Condor Heroes'' is a wuxia novel by Chinese writer Jin Yong (Louis Cha). It is the first part of the '' Condor Trilogy'' and is followed by '' The Return of the Condor Heroes'' and '' The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber''. I ...
'' by Jin Yong. She also appears as a supporting character in the sequel, ''
The Return of the Condor Heroes ''The Return of the Condor Heroes'', also called ''The Giant Eagle and Its Companion'', is a wuxia novel by Jin Yong (Louis Cha). It is the second part of the '' Condor Trilogy'' and was preceded by '' The Legend of the Condor Heroes'' and foll ...
''.


In ''The Legend of the Condor Heroes''

Huang Rong was born to
Huang Yaoshi Huang Yaoshi is a fictional character in the wuxia novel ''The Legend of the Condor Heroes'' and its sequel, ''The Return of the Condor Heroes'', by Jin Yong. He is one of the Five Greats of the '' wulin'' (martial artists' community) during the ...
and Feng Heng. Her mother died shortly after she was born and her father raised her all by himself on
Peach Blossom Island Taohua Island is one of the islands of the Zhoushan Archipelago. The island is under the administration of Putuo District, Zhoushan, Zhejiang, China. The island is mentioned many times in Louis Cha's ''Condor Trilogy The ''Condor Trilogy'' (å° ...
. She was an intelligent child and quick learner, so her father imparted her with all his skills and knowledge. She flees from home after a quarrel with her father and disguises herself as a beggar by donning filthy rags. Huang Rong meets
Guo Jing Guo Jing is the fictional protagonist of the wuxia novel '' The Legend of the Condor Heroes'' by Jin Yong. He also appears as a supporting character in the sequel, '' The Return of the Condor Heroes'', and is mentioned by name in '' The Heaven ...
for the first time in an inn while she was arguing with a waiter. Guo Jing feels sorry for her and decides to pay for her meal. Huang Rong finds him interesting and she orders all kinds of fine cuisine and shares with him. Guo Jing even gives her some gold ingots he received from
Genghis Khan ''Chinggis Khaan'' ͡ʃʰiŋɡɪs xaËÅ‹br />Mongol script: ''Chinggis Qa(gh)an/ Chinggis Khagan'' , birth_name = Temüjin , successor = Tolui (as regent)Ögedei Khan , spouse = , issue = , house = Borjigin , ...
. When she asks, he offers her his prized
Ferghana horse Ferghana horses () were one of China's earliest major imports, originating in an area in Central Asia. These horses, as depicted in Tang dynasty tomb figures in earthenware, may "resemble the animals on the golden medal of Eucratides, King of B ...
, a rare Central Asian breed. Since then, Huang Rong is attracted to Guo Jing as she sees that he is a simple, honest and innocent young lad. Guo Jing and Huang Rong embark on adventure together even though Guo's teachers, the "Seven Freaks of Jiangnan", dislike Huang and oppose Guo's decision to be with her. They meet
Hong Qigong Hong Qi, better known as Hong Qigong,The "gÅng" (), which means "grandfather", is not part of his name. His apprentices, followers and younger generations call him "QÄ«gÅng" (; "Grandpa Qi") to show their respect for him as an elder and their ...
, who teaches Guo Jing the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms (é™é¾å八掌) to repay Huang Rong's favours of preparing fine cuisine for him every day during the brief period of time he spent with them. Hong Qigong initially refuses to teach Huang Rong any skills when he learns that she is the daughter of his friendly rival, Huang Yaoshi. However, he starts to like her for her adorable nature, and especially after she and Guo Jing saved him from
Ouyang Feng Ouyang Feng is a fictional character in the wuxia novel ''The Legend of the Condor Heroes'' and its sequel, ''The Return of the Condor Heroes'', by Jin Yong. He is the "Western Venom" of the Five Greats of the '' wulin'' (martial artists' commun ...
. He fought with Ouyang Feng and won but was bitten by the latter's poisonous serpent, and lost all his inner energy while purging the venom from his body. He teaches Huang Rong his Dog Beating Staff Technique after deciding to pass on his position as the chief of the
Beggars' Sect The Beggars' Sect is a fictional martial arts sect featured prominently in works of ''wuxia'' fiction by writers such as Jin Yong, Gu Long and Wolong Sheng. The sect has also found its way into martial arts films such as ''King of Beggars''. The s ...
to her. Huang Rong plays a significant role in
Yang Kang Yang Kang is the fictional antagonist in the wuxia novel ''The Legend of the Condor Heroes'' by Jin Yong (Louis Cha). He also serves as a foil to Guo Jing, the protagonist. Birth and heritage Yang Kang's hometown is in Niu Family Village ...
's death although she does not kill him directly. Yang Kang attacks her with a palm strike in an attempt to prevent her from revealing the truth behind the murders he committed. However, instead, he hits the spikes on the soft armour she is wearing. The armour was incidentally stained with venom from a rare snake bred by Ouyang Feng and the poison seeps through Yang Kang's wounds into his body and kills him eventually. Towards the end of the novel, on the summit of
Mount Hua Mount Hua () is a mountain located near the city of Huayin in Shaanxi Province, about east of Xi'an. It is the "Western Mountain" of the Five Great Mountains of China and has a long history of religious significance. Originally classified as ...
, Huang Yaoshi finally consents to his daughter's marriage to Guo Jing.


In ''The Return of the Condor Heroes''

Guo Jing and Huang Rong play supporting roles in the character development of the protagonist
Yang Guo Yang Guo, courtesy name Gaizhi, is the fictional protagonist of the wuxia novel ''The Return of the Condor Heroes'' by Jin Yong. Birth and heritage Yang Guo traces his lineage to Yang Zaixing, a Song general who participated in the Jin–Song W ...
in the sequel. The couple have three children (Guo Fu, Guo Xiang, and Guo Polu) and have also accepted the brothers Wu Xiuwen and Wu Dunru as their students. During their first meeting with Yang Guo, Guo Jing accepts the boy immediately and wants to raise him like a son and groom him to become a young hero. However, Huang Rong has reservations over her husband's decision. She feels that Yang Guo bears an uncanny resemblance to his late father in his attitude and behaviour, and does not fully trust the boy. Yang was taught only literary arts and
Confucian values Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, a way of governing, or a ...
during the brief period of time he spent with the couple. This prejudice was reinforced when Huang always place the blame on Yang Guo whenever her daughter did something wrong to him, notably shown when she supports Guo Fu for slicing off Yang Guo's arm due to her believing that Yang Guo kidnapped her daughter and used her life to exchange for an antidote to a poison he suffers from due to an earlier incident with Gongsun Zhi (until she knows the truth and became regretful for blaming him). Huang Rong is responsible for the split of Xiaolongnü and Yang Guo many times. Huang Rong's attitude towards Yang Guo changes over time as her husband shows high regard for the boy and especially after Yang Guo selflessly saved their family from danger again and again. At one point, she fears for Guo Fu's life, after her daughter sliced off Yang Guo's arm in a heated quarrel, but Yang Guo forgives Guo Fu and saves her life later. Huang Rong only fully trusts Yang Guo after he saved Guo Xiang from the Mongols in a later chapter. Huang Rong joins her husband in defending
Xiangyang Xiangyang is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Hubei province, China and the second largest city in Hubei by population. It was known as Xiangfan from 1950 to 2010. The Han River runs through Xiangyang's centre and divides the city no ...
and provides him with all the support to resist the Mongol invaders. They eventually defeated the Mongols and prolonged Xiangyang's existence as a Song territory for another 13 years before it finally fell to the Mongols prior to the events of the sequel ''The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber''.


In ''The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber''

In ''
The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber ''The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber'' (), also translated as ''The Sword and the Knife'', is a wuxia novel by Jin Yong (Louis Cha). It is the third and final installment in the ''Condor Trilogy'', preceded by ''The Legend of the Condor Heroes ...
'', it is revealed that the couple realise that the eventual fall of Xiangyang is inevitable, so they wrote their knowledge of martial arts and military strategy on scrolls and hid them separately in the blades of the Heaven Reliant Sword and Dragon Slaying Saber, in the hope that future generations would inherit their legacy. Huang Rong was killed along with the rest of her family (excluding Guo Xiang) after Xiangyang fell to the Mongols.


Character description

Huang Rong is described as a young beggar dressed in filthy clothing during her first appearance in ''The Legend of the Condor Heroes''. Her face is stained with mud and her clothes are covered in dust. When Guo Jing agrees to meet her on the riverbank, she looks completely different from her earlier image, now that she is clean and dressed in beautiful clothes. Her appearance is described as "with skin whiter than snow, charm unrivalled by any, and a presence so stunning, one would almost blush from staring at her too intently". Guo Jing is taken aback by her new look.


Martial arts and skills


Huang Yaoshi

Huang Rong learnt most of her martial arts and skills from her father. Guo Jing is unable to fully grasp all these skills. Some of them are listed below. * Peach Flower Fallen Hero Palm (), known in later editions as Falling Flower Divine Sword Palm (). * Divine Flicking Finger () is a technique of channelling a large amount of inner energy into a finger and releasing it with a precise amount of strength and control. It is used to propel objects towards enemies with force and accuracy. * Jade Flute Swordplay () is a type of swordplay that focuses on attacking an opponent's
acupuncture point Acupuncture is a form of alternative medicine and a component of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in which thin needles are inserted into the body. Acupuncture is a pseudoscience; the theories and practices of TCM are not based on scientif ...
s.


Hong Qigong

Huang Rong meets Hong Qigong while out on adventure with Guo Jing. Hong Qigong teaches them his skills to repay Huang Rong's favours of preparing fine cuisine for him. The skills Huang Rong learnt from Hong Qigong are as follows: * Carefree Fist () was created by Hong Qigong in his younger days. It requires flexibility and smoothness as its name "carefree" implies. * Rain of Petals () is a skill created by Hong Qigong to counter Ouyang Ke and his snakes. It involves using sewing needles as dart-like throwing weapons. * Dog Beating Staff Technique () is a skill known only to the
Beggars' Sect The Beggars' Sect is a fictional martial arts sect featured prominently in works of ''wuxia'' fiction by writers such as Jin Yong, Gu Long and Wolong Sheng. The sect has also found its way into martial arts films such as ''King of Beggars''. The s ...
's chief. This technique is one of the best among all pole weapons skills for its ever-changing styles and movements. Hong Qigong teaches Huang Rong when he decides to pass on his position as chief to her. Huang Rong teaches Lu Youjiao this skill later when she names him her successor.


Nine Yin Manual

The ''Nine Yin Manual'' is the most coveted martial arts manual of its time because of the incredible inner energy cultivation techniques and extraordinary skills it records.
Guo Jing Guo Jing is the fictional protagonist of the wuxia novel '' The Legend of the Condor Heroes'' by Jin Yong. He also appears as a supporting character in the sequel, '' The Return of the Condor Heroes'', and is mentioned by name in '' The Heaven ...
shares with Huang Rong after memorising and learning the skills in the book. Mastering the manual's skills allows both of them to maximise the potential of the various skills they had learnt earlier.cnnovels.net
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Miscellaneous skills and knowledge

Huang Rong acquired most of her knowledge of geography, medicine, strategy, mathematics, music, literature, etc. from her father. She also inherited her mother's
eidetic memory Eidetic memory ( ; more commonly called photographic memory or total recall) is the ability to recall an image from memory with high precision—at least for a brief period of time—after seeing it only onceThe terms ''eidetic memory'' and ''pho ...
. She is also versed in the art of laying formations, such as the
Eight Trigrams Formation The Stone Sentinel Maze was an array of rocks and boulders thought to be conjured by Zhuge Liang based on the concept of the bagua. The formation was located on Yufu Shore (魚腹浦) by the Yangtze River near present-day Baidicheng, Chongqing, ...
, to counter enemies' advances. She uses her powers to make huge rocks and boulders form an array and maze to confuse enemies and force them to retreat. Huang Rong is an excellent cook. She prepared several fine dishes for
Hong Qigong Hong Qi, better known as Hong Qigong,The "gÅng" (), which means "grandfather", is not part of his name. His apprentices, followers and younger generations call him "QÄ«gÅng" (; "Grandpa Qi") to show their respect for him as an elder and their ...
to ask him to teach Guo Jing martial arts. Hong Qigong has a penchant for fine cuisine and could not resist the temptation that he has no choice but to keep his promise and teach Guo Jing.


In film and television

Notable actresses who have portrayed Huang Rong in films and television series include
Michelle Yim Michelle Yim Wai-ling (; born September 2, 1955), better known by her stage name ''Mai Suet'' (), is a Hong Kong actress and elder sister of former actress Sidney Yim Wai-ming also known by stage name ''Suet Lei'' (). She graduated from St. Ro ...
(1976),
Barbara Yung Barbara Yung Mei-ling (, 7 May 1959 – 14 May 1985) was a Hong Kong famous actress during the early 1980s. Yung died of suicide by gas inhalation at the age of 26, during the peak of her career.Her most popular acting role was Huang Rong in Th ...
(1983), Susanna Au-yeung (1983), Idy Chan (1988),
Athena Chu Athena Chu (born 25 October 1971) is a Hong Kong actress and singer. She is best known for her role as Zixia Fairy in ''A Chinese Odyssey'' (1995). Early life and education On 25, October 1971, Chu was born in Kowloon, Hong Kong. Her father was ...
(1994),
Bonnie Ngai Bonnie, is a Scottish given name and is sometimes used as a descriptive reference, as in the Scottish folk song, My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean. It comes from the Scots language word "bonnie" (pretty, attractive), or the French bonne (good). That ...
(1995),
Zhou Xun Zhou Xun (, born 18 October 1974) is a Chinese actress and singer. She is regarded as one of the Four Dan Actresses of China. She gained international fame for her roles in '' Suzhou River'' (2000) and ''Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress'' ...
(2003), Kong Lin (2006),
Ariel Lin Ariel Lin Yi-chen (; born 29 October 1982) is a Taiwanese actress and singer. She rose to fame for her role as Yuan Xiangqin in the Taiwanese drama '' It Started with a Kiss'' (2005) and the Chinese fantasy drama ''The Little Fairy'' (2006). Lin w ...
(2008), Yang Mingna (2014), Li Yitong (2017), and
Gong Beibi Beibi Gong () (born February 21, 1978 in Fujian, China) is a Chinese film and television actress. Beginning her acting career as a teenager, she later graduated from the prestigious Central Academy of Drama where she first gained recognition amo ...
(2022).


Family tree


Notes


References

* Tan, Xianmao (2005)
Huang Rong: The Most Intelligent, Clever and Adorable Woman
In ''Rankings of Jin Yong's Characters''. Chinese Agricultural Press. {{DEFAULTSORT:Huang, Rong Literary characters introduced in 1957 Jin Yong characters The Legend of the Condor Heroes The Return of the Condor Heroes Condor Trilogy Fictional women soldiers and warriors Fictional wushu practitioners Fictional Song dynasty people Fictional Han people Fictional characters from Zhejiang