Towards the end of the Qing dynasty, Jin Yong's grandfather served as a county magistrate in Jiangsu Province. His father ran a banking house, a silkworm hatchery and a silk-weaving factory, all with little success.
金庸的祖父在清末曾任江蘇省知縣，父親經營過錢莊、繭廠、絲廠，都不太成功。