The Deer and the Cauldron
#2324.32 adjusted 4.12 for sample size in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 1 book Status Complete 1969 Reading commitment Low Jin Yong Last reviewed 2026-11-01
Overview
The Deer and the Cauldron (Chinese title Luding Ji) is a martial-arts historical novel by Jin Yong (Louis Cha), serialized in the Hong Kong newspaper Ming Pao from 24 October 1969 to 23 September 1972. It is set in the early Qing dynasty and follows Wei Xiaobao, an illiterate, quick-witted young man born in a brothel in Yangzhou, who ends up in the imperial palace and befriends the young Kangxi Emperor while also serving the anti-Qing Tiandihui society. It is the author's last and longest novel. A highly abridged English translation by John Minford was published by Oxford University Press in three volumes from 1997 to 2002.
Historical fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (1 work) counts toward ranking
The Deer and the Cauldron Jin Yong
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Deer and the Cauldron; Chinese title 鹿鼎記 (Luding Ji). Serialized in Ming Pao from 1969 to 1972; an abridged English translation in three volumes appeared 1997-2002. | 1969 | 1 | core | 4.32 (893 ratings) |
Standalone historical wuxia novel set in the early Qing dynasty.
Quick answers
- How many books are in The Deer and the Cauldron? The Deer and the Cauldron's Core Canon is 1 book.
- Is The Deer and the Cauldron finished? Complete (1969).
- How much reading does The Deer and the Cauldron take? Low reading commitment (estimated from 1 Core Canon book).
- How is The Deer and the Cauldron ranked? #232 in this site's official ranking, based on 893 reader ratings across 1 Core Canon book. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #232?
Ranked #232 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 4.32 across 1 core book.
- A smaller readership (893 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Less than 0.01 behind #231, When You Trap a Tiger (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.46.
Why explore this universe?
Top-tier rated · 1 book · Complete · 893 ratings · Ranks #232 overall
Good choice if you want a quick, low-commitment historical fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
A single Core Canon work: no sequencing question to resolve.
Awards (verified)
- No awards found for this universe.
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Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 4.32 across 893 ratings on 1 Core Canon book. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Canon Extension: The Novels of Charles Williams, Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, The Deer and the Cauldron, Legendele Țării lui Vam, Guild Hunter, The Heroic Legend of Arslan and Labyrinths of Echo; open ratings filled accepted 2026-11-01
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- Wikipedia Tier 2
Last reviewed: 2026-11-01
Rule: Core Canon = the single novel The Deer and the Cauldron (Luding Ji, serialized 1969-1972).