Anita Mui, Hong Kong's Cantopop diva, had died of cervical cancer on 30 December 2003. She was 40 years of age.

Her friends had gathered together to give a press conference, stating that Anita Mui had passed away at Hong Kong's Sanitorium Hospital at 2.50am, due to lung complications as a result of the cancer.

Her death, although tragic and saddening, was not a shock to anyone after she revealed she had cervical cancer in a press conference in September of this year. Cancer is the disease which has took the lives of many, including Mui's older sister Mui Oi-fong, who died of ovarian cancer in April 2000. One of her closest showbiz friends, Roman Law, had also died of cancer last year, and she was still coming to terms with the sudden death of Leslie Cheung, who committed suicide this April.

Reports had stated that the singer-actress was quickly rushed to hospital after her health deteriorated and she had difficulty breathing. All her closest friends in Hong Kong raced to the hospital to be by her bedside. Eric Tsang recounted that she was smiling all the way til the end, waiting for her beloved friends to say their good-byes, and that she passed away peacefully.

She was known as "Big Sister" within the entertainment industry, and was fond of everyone, having time to teach and nurture the younger generation, as well as being a champion for good causes.

Earlier this year the media speculated that Mui might have been ill when her weight dropped off and she looked thin and pale. Her manager denied Mui was ill, but on 5 September, Mui held a press conference, along with over 20 of her friends, and revealed that she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. She vowed that she would fight the illness and would never give in.

"I will win this battle. I won't disappoint my friends. I don't want my fans to cry anymore, to worry anymore. I am not a loser and a weakling even though I am a patient," Mui said then.

Anita Mui began her lifelong career as a singer in 1968 when she was only 5 years old. She was singing Chinese Opera in theatres before her big break came in 1982 when she won the New Talent Singing Competition, beating 3000 other contestants. Mui went on to dominate the Hong Kong pop scene for the next decade winning consecutive awards for Best Female Artist. She was known as the "Madonna of Asia" with her flamboyant costumes, sexy live performances, and a host of hits which made her into the most popular female performer of her generation.

Her acting was not off the mark either when she won the 1987 Golden Horse Best Actress award for her performance in "Rouge". She also appeared in commercial hits such as Drunken Master 2, Rumble in the Bronx, Heroic Trio, Saviour of the Soul, Who's the woman, who's the man, and most recently in Ann Hui's July Rhapsody with Jacky Cheung.

Anita Mui was never married, but was linked to a series of male actors such as Jackie Chan, Andy Lau, Vincent Chiu and non-actors. Nothing came of those relationships because Mui placed her career first, and the intense pressure of the media always was a concern.

However, it was her performances, whether in a live concert or in film, that we will always remember her for: a true entertainer whose passion and life were for her fans.

[click here for some images of Anita Mui]

Profile

English Name: Anita Mui
Chinese Name: Mei Yan Fang
Cantonese Name: Mui Yim Fong
Birthplace: Hong Kong
Birthday: Oct 10th, 1963

Selected Filmography

2002 July Rhapsody
2001 Dance Of A Dream
2001 Let's Sing Along
2001 Midnight Fly
2001 Wu Yen
1997 Eighteen Springs
1996 Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Star
1996 Who's the Woman, Who's the Man
1995 Rumble in the Bronx
1995 My Father is a Hero
1993 Drunken Master II
1992 Moon Warriors
1991 Au Revoir Mon Amour
1991 Saviour of the Soul
1991 Banquet, The
1990 Shanghai, Shanghai
1989 Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon, A
1987 Rouge
1987 Trouble Couples
1986 100 Ways to Murder Your Wife
1984 Fate
1983 Let's Make Laugh

Beheaded 1000
Center Stage
Chocolate Inspector
Code of Fortune
Fight Back to School 3
Greatest Lover
Happy Bigamist
Heroic Trio
Herioc Trio 2
Justice My Foot
Kawashima Yoshiko
Magic Crane
Mr Canton and Lady Rose (Miracles)
One Husband Too Many
Prince of Portland Street
Three Wishes
Top Bet
Trouble Couples
Why Why Tell Me Why

White roses and messages are placed around Anita's photo at the funeral parlour

Family and friends carry a paper-made model of a stage to be burnt

Nicholas Tse

Tony Leung Chiu Wai

Vincent Chiu

Gigi Leung

Anthony Wong

Andy Lau

Maggie Cheung

Above: Thousands packed outside the funeral parlour waiting to go in to pay their respects.

Middle: Funeral parlour on the left; people waiting at the sports court on the right.

Below: People lining up to enter the parlour.