Statues to honor famous novel heroes

Statues of a legendary couple from a popular kungfu fiction will rise up in Xiangyang, Central China's Hubei province next month, a local newspaper reported Tuesday.

A computer-generated image shows the look of the statues of two famous figures from Jin Yong's The Legend of the Condor Heroes. [Photo/cnhubei.com]

Guo Jing and Huang Rong, his wife, are heroes from the Song Dynasty (960-1276) who safeguarded the city of Xianyang against Mongolian invaders during the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234) in The Legend of the Condor Heroes, one of the most well-known novels written by Louis Cha Leung Yung (better known for his pen name Jin Yong).

The plan for the statues, which will cost one million yuan ($157,200), has been confirmed by multiple sources including the city's Culture and Tourism Bureau, Press and Publication Bureau, who said the goal is to make the statues "another name card of culture" for the city.

The construction of the 4-meter high bronze statues, which will stand on a 6x6 square meters base at the Xiaobeimen Square in Xiangcheng district, will be completed by the end of August. And it is expected to open to public in October.

The city changed its name from Xiangfan to Xiangyang on December 9, 2010, in a bid to increase the brand awareness and further promote its tourism industry.