Novelist's gift turned into retreat for the rich
By Li Qian |
May 30, 2012, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
A classic garden and library donated to the city of Hangzhou by China's bestselling kung fu novelist has been turned into a high-end clubhouse serving expensive meals.
In 1994, Hong Kong-based Louis Cha, better known by his pen name Jin Yong, spent nearly 14 million yuan (US$2.21 million) building the Cloudy Pine Sanctum, a tranquil retreat for literature and cultural communications, beside the scenic West Lake, and donated it to the government of Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang Province, in 1996.
But instead of serving the public, the exquisite garden has been turned into a luxurious club targeting wealthy businessmen and government officials, the China News Service reported yesterday.
An unnamed employee told the news agency that the garden offered four meals a day. The minimum charge for a feast was 500 yuan per person, and a group banquet could cost 10,000 yuan, he said, adding that a pot of tea cost 100 yuan per person.
An official with the property-management authority surnamed Fan said large banquets were held only occasionally and mainly for the authorities.
But Fan disclosed that "an internal employee" signed a contract and paid 450,000 yuan in rent per year to operate the Cloudy Pine Sanctum.
Before a major renovation in 2008 when the structure was turned into the luxurious club, local cultural groups set up offices there, Zhang Dong, an official with the Hangzhou West Lake Culture Research Association, told CNS.
The Suzhou-style garden, occupying an area of 3,200 square meters, used to be a popular rendezvous for writers and artists, and it cost just 35 yuan per person for a pot of tea, he said, adding that the group was "swept away" after the renovation. Zhang said the authorities never followed Cha's instructions and charged admission fees.
Cha, 88, is one of China's most renowned literary figures. His 15 works written between 1955 and 1972 earned him a reputation as one of the greatest martial arts writers.
He is also the bestselling living Chinese author, with more than 100 million books sold worldwide. They have been translated into English, French, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Burmese and Thai.
The novelist could not be reached for comment.
In 1994, Hong Kong-based Louis Cha, better known by his pen name Jin Yong, spent nearly 14 million yuan (US$2.21 million) building the Cloudy Pine Sanctum, a tranquil retreat for literature and cultural communications, beside the scenic West Lake, and donated it to the government of Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang Province, in 1996.
But instead of serving the public, the exquisite garden has been turned into a luxurious club targeting wealthy businessmen and government officials, the China News Service reported yesterday.
An unnamed employee told the news agency that the garden offered four meals a day. The minimum charge for a feast was 500 yuan per person, and a group banquet could cost 10,000 yuan, he said, adding that a pot of tea cost 100 yuan per person.
An official with the property-management authority surnamed Fan said large banquets were held only occasionally and mainly for the authorities.
But Fan disclosed that "an internal employee" signed a contract and paid 450,000 yuan in rent per year to operate the Cloudy Pine Sanctum.
Before a major renovation in 2008 when the structure was turned into the luxurious club, local cultural groups set up offices there, Zhang Dong, an official with the Hangzhou West Lake Culture Research Association, told CNS.
The Suzhou-style garden, occupying an area of 3,200 square meters, used to be a popular rendezvous for writers and artists, and it cost just 35 yuan per person for a pot of tea, he said, adding that the group was "swept away" after the renovation. Zhang said the authorities never followed Cha's instructions and charged admission fees.
Cha, 88, is one of China's most renowned literary figures. His 15 works written between 1955 and 1972 earned him a reputation as one of the greatest martial arts writers.
He is also the bestselling living Chinese author, with more than 100 million books sold worldwide. They have been translated into English, French, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Burmese and Thai.
The novelist could not be reached for comment.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
