Yip Goo Sing - "Lord of White Cloud Castle/City" - what/where was it?

[Ken Cheng]

Yip Goo Sing held the title of "Lord of White Cloud Castle" or "Lord of White Cloud City," depending on how you interpret the Chinese word "sing," which could mean either "castle" or "city" depending on the context. Which one did Gu Long mean it to be? If Yip Goo Sing was the lord of a castle, then he had authority over maybe a few dozen people; if he was the lord of a city, then he perhaps ruled over thousands of people, which might go some way towards explaining his desire to usurp the throne of the Ming emperor. In any case, does Gu Long ever tell us specifically what/where this "White Cloud Castle" or White Cloud City is?

Complicating things further is that BEFORE AND AFTER THE DUEL had several key scenes set at Beijing's famous White Cloud (Taoist) Monastery, which was founded by the branch of Cheun Jen Sect Taoists who had followed the teachings of Yau Chui Gei (famous in wuxia for his role in Jin Yong's L/ROCH). Despite the similarity in name, however, there doesn't seem to be any connection between the White Cloud Monastery and Yip Goo Sing's White Cloud Castle/City...or is there?

[BlackRaven]

It's on an island in the South Sea.

In Gu Long stories, even a small island can serve as the abode of a great master. In the Sword and the Exquisiteness, DongFang Daming was lord over a host of islands, 19 of which contained very powerful fighters.

White Cloud Castle is not on Hainan, since in other Gu Long stories there is a Hainan school with notable fighters such as Flying Fish Yu Xuan from the Sword and the Exquisiteness.

It could be one of those **Chinese** islands on the periphery of the Empire. Maybe even the Spratly Islands :P

[CC]

Back in those days, Hainan and the southern areas was considered pretty remote/barbarian lands.

The image of YGC is always that of a clean cut fair skinned swordsman.

But someone from a South Island would really be rather dark. (Its bloody sunny over there!)

[Ken Cheng]

Back in those days, Hainan and the southern areas was considered pretty remote/barbarian lands.

The image of YGC is always that of a clean cut fair skinned swordsman.

But someone from a South Island would really be rather dark. (Its bloody sunny over there!)

I wonder if it's *that* far away, though. It's basically in the same region as Hong Kong, not known for especially dark-skinned residents (except immigrants from Southeast Asia or the Indian subcontinent).

[CC]

I wonder if it's *that* far away, though. It's basically in the same region as Hong Kong, not known for especially dark-skinned residents (except immigrants from Southeast Asia or the Indian subcontinent).

Modern Hker's are descended from other areas (many ran there during the turbulent early 20th century). Besides, this is the modern world, they can stay in air-conditioned rooms and use SKII......

Go to Hainan and you can see the locals are much darker than the northern Chinese.

Before the Qing Dynasty, Hainan was a very remote place. The earlier Dynasties would exile officials who fell out of favour to places like the Jin/Khitan/Mongolian borders or.... you guessed it - Hainan (e.g. Su DongPo of the Song Dynasty was exiled there0.

[Ken Cheng]

Modern Hker's are descended from other areas (many ran there during the turbulent early 20th century). Besides, this is the modern world, they can stay in air-conditioned rooms and use SKII......

Go to Hainan and you can see the locals are much darker than the northern Chinese.

Before the Qing Dynasty, Hainan was a very remote place. The earlier Dynasties would exile officials who fell out of favour to places like the Jin/Khitan/Mongolian borders or.... you guessed it - Hainan (e.g. Su DongPo of the Song Dynasty was exiled there0.

Some exile. The climate is nicer down south than up north.