Taiwan star Barbie Hsu dies at 48

Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu has died from pneumonia after contracting influenza whereas on a trip in Japan, native media report. She was 48.

Hsu is without doubt one of the largest names within the Mandarin-speaking world and is finest identified for starring within the 2001 TV collection Meteor Backyard.

Meteor Backyard was dubbed in a number of languages and made Hsu a giant star within the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand.

Her sister, Dee Hsu, confirmed her demise to Taiwan’s TVBS Information on Monday.

“Throughout the Lunar New 12 months, or household got here to Japan for trip. My dearest sister Barbie has sadly left us after getting pneumonia, triggered by an influenza,” Dee Hsu stated in an announcement shared by her supervisor.

“I am grateful to be her sister on this lifetime, taking good care of one another … I’ll all the time be grateful to her and keep in mind her.”

Rumours of Hsu’s demise had circulated since Sunday, after a well-liked Fb account printed a cryptic publish claiming {that a} 48-year-old Taiwanese superstar had died.

Affirmation of her demise on Monday despatched shockwaves amongst followers, and an triggered an outpouring of sympathy and condolences on social media.

Hsu was the highest trending subject on Weibo Monday morning. “I am unable to imagine it,” reads one remark – echoing a whole lot of comparable sentiments circulating on Chinese language social media.

In Meteor Backyard, Hsu performed Shancai, a poor pupil from a center class household who attends an elite personal faculty and finds herself entangled in a love internet among the many heirs of rich households, performed by members of the Taiwanese boyband F4.

Meteor Backyard relies on a Nineties Japanese manga collection of the identical title.

The present has continued to draw followers throughout the area. Following the large success of the 2001 collection, variations of the story have additionally been produced in Japan, South Korea, mainland China, and India.