The Return of the Condor Heroes

The Return of the Condor Heroes	The Return of the Condor Heroes

The Return of the Condor Heroes (Traditional Chinese: 神鵰俠侶, Simplified Chinese: 神雕侠侣, pinyin: shén diāo xiá lǚ) is a classic Kungfu novel written by Jin Yong, first published on May 20, 1959 in the first issue of Ming Pao and ran for about three years. This is the second novel of the Condor Trilogy. The story revolves around Yang Guo, the son of Yang Kang, and his lover Xiaolongnü in their struggle of finding their own destiny in an unfamiliar world. Alternate English titles are The Giant Eagle and Its Companion and Divine Eagle, Chivalric Companion. The latter title is translated as a plural which suggests Guo Jing and Huang Rong's paired birds and their various human counterparts.
The novel is set in mid-13th century at a time when the Song Dynasty is on the brink of demise. Hoards of Mongolian armies under the legacy of the late Khagan, Genghis Khan, raided their way across the northern plains planning on conquering the Han empire of Song. The integrity of Song was at its weakest during that time. Official corruptions and famine runs rampant throughout the empire. Uncounted people are killed by the Mongolians and hundreds of settlements burned. The government was too weak to send out efficient military support and could only watch as cities one after another get sacked by Mongolian hordes.