Mr Louis Cha Leung Yung was born in Hangzhou in Zhejiang province and obtained his LLB degree from the University of Soochow in 1948 before coming to Hong Kong where he has gained a well-earned reputation as litterateur, novelist, translator, journalist and publisher.
Mr Cha is regarded as a very gifted novelist, and his works are among the most widely read in contemporary Chinese literature. He is the author of 14 Chinese chivalrous (wuxia) novels, published in 36 volumes, and the creator of many valiant heroes and beautiful heroines and countless other memorable characters. His works continue the artistic tradition of great Chinese novels such as The Water Margin, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Dream of the Red Chamber and The Scholars. He has done much to preserve the Tung-cheng School (桐城派) tradition, while at the same time establishing a style of his own. During the past 30 years, many of his novels have been serialised in Hong Kong daily newspapers, reaching an audience of millions in every Chinese community throughout the world. Many television series based on his novels have been very popular in Hong Kong.
Mr Cha is also the author of two monographs on Hong Kong's future, one in Chinese and one in English, which have attracted much attention. In addition, he is a founder member of the Hong Kong Translation Society and has translated several popular American and English works of modern literature into Chinese.
Chairman and President of the Ming-Pao Daily News Ltd, Mr Cha is publisher of the influential Chinese-language daily newspaper, Ming Pao, which has a circulation of about 200,000, and author of many of its highly-respected editorials. He is also publisher of the Ming Pao Wan-Pao and the Ming Pao Monthly. The latter was established in 1967 and is a major forum for exchange of views among Chinese scholars throughout the world.
In addition to his literary and business activities, Mr Cha serves the community through his membership of the Citizens Advisory Committee on Community Relations of the Independent Commission Against Corruption, the Working Party on the Development of a Chinese Language Foundation, and the Law of Contempt of Court Sub-Committee of the Law Reform Committee. He is also a member of the Basic Law Drafting Committee and played a very active role in the formation of the Basic Law Consultative Committee. Mr Cha was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1981.
In recognition of his contribution to the development of Hong Kong society as publisher, journalist, novelist, political commentator and through his public service, the University has resolved to confer upon him the degree of Doctor of Social Sciences honoris causa.
