Mr. Nieh Kong

1935-

Scriptwriter

Born Ngai Chung and also known as Yik Ming, Shanghai-born Nieh Kong came to Hong Kong in 1957, eventually becoming one of the most accomplished and prolific novelists and scriptwriters of his time. In the early years, he worked in a factory by day and pursued his studies in the evenings. Later, he served as a proofreader for Truth Daily, before being promoted to assistant editor, reporter and political commentator. He published his first novel, Buried Alive, in 1957 and became a full-time novelist the following year. Works include The Dark Heroine Muk Lan-Fa and The Six-fingered Lord of the Lute, which were adapted for the big screen. Around this time, Nieh began to use the pseudonym “Wisely” to write sci-fi novels, namely the “Wisely” and “Legendary Ranger” series. The rise of new-style martial arts films in the mid-60s saw him writing screenplays, completing more than 300 in just over a decade. Among these were Chang Cheh’s One-Armed Swordsman (1967), The Invincible Fist (1969) and Vengeance! (1970), as well as Chor Yuen’s The Magic Blade (1976) and Killer Clans (1976). Nieh was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Hong Kong Film Awards in 2012.