Famed Taiwanese writer Chiung Yao, whose romance novels made her a household name in China, has been found dead at her home aged 86.
Taiwanese media reports stated that an employee discovered her body at the novelist’s home in New Taipei City, and that she is suspected to have died by suicide.
Local police and fire department officials confirmed her death, saying there were no indications of foul play.
The writer left behind a public Facebook post, where she asked her friends and family not to mourn her death.
Yao started writing at 18 and published around 65 novels, several of which have been adapted into popular films and television series.
The most popular of these is arguably My Fair Princess, which ran from 1998 to 2003, and launched the careers of actors Zhao Wei, Ruby Lin, and Fan Bingbing. The period drama was set in the 18th-century Qing dynasty and follows the life of a destitute orphaned young girl who becomes a princess by accident.
Born Chen Che in Chengdu in China’s Sichuan province in 1938, Chiung Yao moved with her family to Taiwan in 1949 after the Communist Revolution.
Her first novel, Outside the Window, based on her own experiences of falling in love with her high school Chinese teacher at 18, was published in 1963 when she was 25, propelling her to instant success. She followed up with Misty Rain the following year, which has been adapted into multiple films and television dramas. Several other adaptations of her work like My Cape of Many Dreams, The Young Ones, and Deep Garden, also contributed to her popularity.
“In the drawers of every literary young girl in the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, there were a few Chiung Yao novels tucked away, hidden from the fear of being confiscated by teachers. Even after the 1990s, Chiung Yao’s old-fashioned romances did not fade away. The classical undertones and dramatic tension continued to sustain her empire of love stories,” Tsai Mei-tzu, a professor of Chinese literature at the National Cheng Kung University, told CNA.
“I still remember when I was young and in love, I borrowed a book of Qiong Yao’s Fire and Rain from my boyfriend. Her books and films carry the memories of many people, and I hope she rests in peace,” Chen Wei, a retired manager from a state-owned enterprise in Beijing said to Global Times.
Yao married her Taiwanese publisher Ping Hsin-tao in 1979, and they were married for 40 years until his death in 2019 after he was diagnosed with vascular dementia.
Taiwanese actor Alec Su, who played Prince Yongqi in My Fair Princess, posted a tribute on Weibo, writing that working with Chiung Yao had left an “everlasting mark” on his life, reported Taiwanese media.
“You once said: ‘I am like a spark, burning with passion, and one day I will become a snowflake, quietly falling.’ Now you have gracefully returned, leaving behind an eternal treasure of the era,” he wrote.
Chinese actor Huang Xiaoming, who played Xiao Jian in My Fair Princess III, too shared a message on Weibo, writing that her “works have illuminated the youth of generations, teaching us how to love, cherish, and face the challenges and difficulties in life”.
Ruby Lin said on Wednesday that the writer had been her first benefactor and posted on Weibo: “To have been your Ziwei (My Fair Princess), Ruping (Romance In The Rain) and Xuehua (Flowers In Fog) is an honour enough for this lifetime,” referring to characters she played written by Chiung Yao.
If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.
If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.
