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Today's Paper | April 29, 2024

Published 02 Apr, 2013 06:00pm

The impact of a great star long gone

Leslie Cheung, more commonly known as ‘Gor Gor’ by his fans, played the cruelest April’s fool joke in 2003.

From the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in central Hong Kong, he leapt to his death after leaving a brief suicide note. It might be a relief for the idol suffering from depression, but this irreversible truth has left a void in many hearts.

Cheung, who was 46 when he died, marked an golden era of Hong Kong cinema with his versatile roles in classics such as 1987's ‘A Chinese Ghost Story’, ‘He's a Woman, She's a Man’, cult splendor ‘Happy Together’ by Wong Kar-wai, Hollywood director John Woo’s most acclaimed ‘A Better Tomorrow’, and the award-winning ‘Farewell My Concubine’, which swept international awards including the Cannes.

Each year, hundreds of fans gathered at the hotel where he committed suicide to attend a candlelight vigil. This year, they also sent in volumes of crafted paper to try setting a Guinness record for most origami made for a cause.

In memory of this amazing singer who also reigned Cantopop and Mandopop when he was alive - especially with hits like ‘Chase’ and ‘Monica’ - Hong Kong artists also put together a tribute concert one day before his death anniversary.

It is not hard to believe that ten years from now, those who feel the impact of such void and loss would still seek ways to commemorate, to reminisce and most of all, to remember this great star long gone. —text by Alisia Pek/photos by Agencies

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