The exhibitions are part of efforts to boost the local economy through mega events.

Curator William Fong Yuen-ming said the organisers wanted to take some of the sculptures outside a regular museum environment to make them more accessible.

“In commemorating Cha’s 100th birthday, we thought why not bring these sculptures beyond the realms of museums into the community, to a more central location in town, and present them in a more family-friendly manner so that more can participate and get to know Cha’s works,” Fong said.

Authorities expect more than 100,000 people will visit the exhibitions, titled “A Path to Glory – Jin Yong’s Centennial Memorial”. The statues will be on display from March 15 to July 2.

The government allocated HK$15 million (US$1.9 million) to the showcases under its Mega ACE Fund, with the exhibitions among about 80 mega events being held in the first half of the year with the aim to boost tourism and the city’s role as an East-meets-West arts and cultural hub.

The sculptures, at a combined value of HK$100 million, are on loan without charge from their creator, mainland Chinese artist Ren Zhe.

Fong said the exhibitions also aimed to highlight the selflessness in the characters and pass on Cha’s legacy to the next generation.

He said it took four to five years for sculptor Ren Zhe to create all of the works for the exhibitions, with the latter noting that he hoped to show traditional culture in a way that would speak to contemporary audiences.

“There are influences from films and anime,” Ren said. “While sculptures are static, I want to capture that sense of movement in one split second which speaks volumes about the characters’ energy.”

Hong Kong’s Art March aims to bring dash of colour to local economy

He added that each sculpture took three months to produce but the times varied as he spent more time working out how to portray the most well-known characters.

“Everyone has an idea of what the famous characters are like in their minds, such as Guo Jing. The challenge lies in how to create a Guo Jing that everyone will be able to recognise and identify,” Ren said, referring to the protagonist in the novel The Legend of the Condor Heroes.

Cha is widely considered the world’s most popular Chinese writer, whose 15 volumes of works have been translated into 14 languages and whose books have sold more than 100 million copies.

In addition to the Central and Sha Tin locations, satellite showings are being held at the arrival hall of the airport from Friday, Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal and Kai Tak Cruise Terminal in April.

Hong Kong Tourism Association executive director Timothy Chui Ting-pong said the exhibitions were “sure” to be a hit among visitors and a “paradise for Instagram”.

“Hongkongers should go see, too. It’s a grand, meaningful exhibition that shows off the city’s rich cultural heritage,” he said. “It’d also make people more confident in Hong Kong’s attractiveness as a tourist destination.”

The Hong Kong Tourism Board revealed the number of tourists who came to the city in February hit 4 million, a 173.7 per cent increase year on year.

The figure contributed to tourism traffic for the first two months of the year, reaching 7.8 million, or a daily average of 130,000 people.

The Leisure and Cultural Services Department also announced a host of events paying tribute to Cha, including an exhibition of costumes worn in the television adaptations of his novels during the Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival in April.

Other activities to celebrate his legacy include themed talks, workshops, concert performances, nighttime visits to his exhibitions, the sale of specially designed stamps and the display of ancient Chinese costumes known as hanfu. Some of them will last until October this year.