The death of veteran actor Patrick Tse Yin at 89 marks the loss of one of the last icons from Hong Kong’s cinematic golden era, a time when the city’s movie industry held sway across Southeast Asia.
Charles Cheung Chi-wai, an associate professor at Hong Kong Baptist University’s humanities and creative writing department, said the glittering cohort of stars in the 1960s helped cement the city’s reputation as the “Hollywood of the East”.
Tse’s son, Nicholas Tse Ting-fung, and daughter, Jennifer Tse Ting-ting, announced his death on Monday, sending shock waves through Chinese communities worldwide.
Tse, alongside actors such as Kenneth Tsang Kong, Chow Chung, Cheung Ying-choi and Bowie Wu Fung – all born in the 1930s – was among the most beloved stars of a then-new wave of Cantonese cinema that resonated with post-war audiences.
All but Wu have died in recent years.
“They embodied aspirations of what modern Hong Kong life could be for local baby boomers. Film was the most influential medium for making sense of the city – what was happening and who one could become – especially before the advent of television,” Charles Cheung said.
The academic said such stars had frequently worked with the Kong Ngee Motion Picture Production Company, which specialised in Cantonese films and helped elevate their popularity in Southeast Asia, supported by investment from Singapore and Malaysia.