Remembering Leslie Cheung 23 Years On

The fans and flowers are back. Photo: KJoules

The sad anniversary of Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing's death has come again. It's been 23 years since the singer and actor took his life at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Central on April 1, 2003. 

And the fans are back at the hotel with flowers and messages for their idol. In 2022 police in civilian clothes used the national security law to prevent people from gathering; as a result fans could only take a picture of their flowers in front of the hotel and then leave.

In Vancouver, I still have yet to visit the park bench in Stanley Park that is dedicated to Cheung; his fans gather here with flowers and tributes.

One of his co-stars, actress Joey Wong posted a video on her social media showing her sitting on the bench along with clips from A Chinese Ghost Story that she and Cheung starred in in 1987.  

In the movie, Cheung is scholar Ning Caichen, who takes shelter in a deserted temple in the forest and falls in love with a ghost called Nip Siu-sin, played by Wong.

Wong, who lives in Vancouver, wrote in her social media post: "Even though I haven't spoken about you [all this time], my heart is full of memories."

We're all reflective now, because we all miss Gor Gor...

Latest Scam: Woman Left with HK$80K Restaurant Bill

The "date" was at Man Wah in the Mandarin Oriental

Women in Hong Kong have another thing to worry about when going on dates -- their suitor may leave them on the hook for a very expensive meal.

In the case of one woman, she was left to pay the restaurant bill of over HK$80,000 (US$10,264) at the Chinese restaurant Man Wah in the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong when her date claimed towards the end of the meal that he had to go to the washroom and never came back.

Really expensive champagne

Why was it so expensive? They had ordered the set meal of HK$2,388 each, featuring dishes like braised bird's nest, abalone, M9 wagyu, and steamed grouper.

But then the man, purporting to be a 26-year-old lawyer, chose a HK$71,800 bottle of Krug Clos d'Ambonnay champagne. The total cost of the mean was HK$84,453.

The woman had met the man on the Telegram messaging app a year ago and they arranged the date on Thursday at Man Wah.

When he didn't come back from the washroom, she called him several times but was not able to reach him and she had to ask friends to help her foot the massive bill and eventually filed a police report the next day.

The police arrested a 23-year-old man surnamed Wong in Tseung Kwan O for allegedly obtaining property by deception on Friday and seized the clothes he had worn the night of the date.

He's not the only guy who has done this version of "dine-and-dash" -- last month the police arrested a 29-year-old man who allegedly impersonated a firefighter on dating apps and apparently tricked three women into paying for lavish meals totalling HK$3,800 before running off.

But this latest scam of picking probably the most expensive bottle on the wine list is absolutely outrageous!

Remembering Gor Gor 20 Years On

Lots of flowers for Cheung outside Mandarin Oriental (J Pang)

It is a relief to see there are crowds of people outside the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong in Central as they place their bouquets of flowers and messages for "Gor Gor" -- Cantopop star Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing, who died 20 years ago today.

I say it's a relief because last year it was such a shock to see aggressive-looking police in civilian clothing verbally warning people not to gather near the hotel and they weren't even allowed to leave their flowers there to pay their respects to the singer who committed suicide there.

Paper cranes the theme this year (photo:J Pang)

Last year I worried that this would be the new normal, but this year it seems lots of people have turned out and the flower arrangements even more elaborate. There's even a white tree branch that is covered with red and white paper cranes strung over its branches. 

Another has a poster with a painting of Cheung with wings, and the artwork is attached to red roses in the shape of a heart, and white feathered wings on each side. Just as decadent are two giant red hearts made of red roses and in the middle of each one is the Chinese character 哥 or "gor", "older brother".

This morning CBC Radio Vancouver had a segment talking about Cheung, and Helen Leung Hok-sze, a Simon Fraser University professor in gender, sexuality and women's studies was asked who he could be compared to in terms of western artists. She suggested Lady Gaga which seems quite appropriate, for her experiments in fashion, musical styles, and acting.

Also interviewed was Pearl Wong, a friend of Cheung's. She talked about how genuine he was, not afraid to show his true emotions, and generous as a friend. Wong explained he was generous in that he was a thoughtful person. For example, noticing that she likes to wear scarves, he bought her a colourful scarf that she appreciated.

Cheung died at the age of 46 (photo: J Pang)

While everyone remembers Cheung and how he battled depression, how far has Hong Kong progressed when it comes to talking about and dealing with depression? It is still a taboo subject, and not everyone knows where or how to get help. There probably aren't enough psychologists and counsellors to help either.

Although the flower arrangements in front of the hotel are gorgeous and thoughtful, how about channeling those funds towards helping make resources available for people to talk about their mental health issues in the name of Cheung, like paying forward counselling sessions for those who need it but can't afford it?

That could help lots of people ease their pain a bit, and also help remember the Hong Kong icon who was a trailblazer in so many ways not just on April 1, but everyday.

Just a thought.

Coopting Leslie and Anita, 20 Years Later

What do fans think of this government tribute, 20 years later?

Hard to believe but 20 years ago on April 1, Hong Kong lost one of its brightest stars, Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing, a talented Cantopop singer and actor. Later that year in December, Anita Mui Yim-fong passed away from cancer. 

I was not in Hong Kong at the time -- a friend was so distraught he sent me copies of the Chinese newspapers covering Cheung's suicide at the Mandarin Oriental in Central in 2003. 

Fans used to remember Cheung every April 1

Since then every April 1, fans have bouquets of flowers sent to the outside of the hotel where a makeshift memorial is set up every year.

Fans come to take pictures of the flowers that have messages telling "Gor Gor" how much they miss him.

However last year with the national security law in place, the police made it very difficult for fans to even gather. Plainclothes police shooed people away, and they could only take a quick picture of themselves holding their flowers by the hotel and then leave.

This year it seems the government wants to take advantage of the two-decade anniversary with the first annual "Pop Culture Festival" with the slogan "Let's Pop"... 

Let's pop???!!!

What does "Let's Pop" mean?

The Leisure and Cultural Services Department has organised the extravaganza to celebrate the glory days of Cantopop in the 1980s and 1990s. There will also be a "Miss You Much Leslie Cheung Exhibition" at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum to remember the much-loved star, while a concert will be held at Queen Elizabeth Stadium.

Cheung and Mui will also be celebrated in a show called "When Leslie and Anita Meet Hei & Gin", featuring some of the two performers' greatest hits at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Grand Theatre.

It is rather macabre for the government to resurrect these two stars from the dead in the hopes of reviving Hong Kong's fortunes. Fans should be given the opportunity to remember them the way they want to commemorate their favourite performers. Were fan groups notified about these massive initiatives? 

Also -- why is Hong Kong looking to the past when it should be looking to the future? The authorities seem to be politicising these two performers, using their names and reputations to earn street cred.

When a "Pop Culture Festival" says, "Let's Pop", it's just popping pathetic...