Jerry Yan Voted No.1 Dream Lover

Taiwan idol Jerry Yan (言承旭, pinyin: Yán Chéngxù), star of the hit idol drama Meteor Garden and member of the boy band F4, came out tops in an online poll asking "Who is your dream lover?" amongst male idol stars. The poll, conducted by Yahoo! Taiwan, was open for one week in the second half of April, and attracted over 55,000 votes. Yan was the clear winner with 12,137 votes, ahead of pop superstar Show Luo (罗志祥, pinyin: Luó Zhīxiáng - 9,871 votes) and former male model turned actor and singer Ming Dao (明道 - 9,765 votes).

Yan was last seen in a TV series almost a year ago in Down With Love, and hasn't released an album since January 2010. However he remains in the spotlight through his public appearances and charity work. The 34 year-old came to fame with his starring role in the Taiwanese romantic drama Meteor Garden in 2001. The series was an adaptation of the Japanese managa series Boys Over Flowers - both of which were squarely aimed at a target audience of teenage girls. Meteor Garden was a massive hit, and resulted in two sequels, Meteor Rain and Meteor Garden 2. It also spawned the boy band F4, made up of Yan and the three other main male cast members.

F4 went on to release two studio albums: Meteor Garden in 2002 and Fantasy in 2003. Both records were the biggest-selling Mandarin albums of the year. The group went into hiatus for several years while band members pursued individual projects, but released a third album in 2007. Yan has also released three solo albums. Since Meteor Garden he has also appeared in three further hit series - The Hospital in 2006, Hot Shot in 2008, and last year's Down With Love.

Original sources (both in Chinese): the Sina entertainment pages and this Macao Daily article.

Lin Chi-ling Has The (Almost) Perfect Face

According to local media reports, Taiwanese plastic surgeons have determined that the face of supermodel/actress Lin Chi-ling (林志玲; pinyin: Lín Zhìlíng) is close to perfection. The finding was reached by looking at the symmetry of women's faces, including the ratio of spacing between the eyes. The study also surveyed one thousand female plastic surgeon customers, and found that they regarded celebrities with the most symmetrical faces as having "the perfect face".

Lin Chi-ling was measured as having a ratio of 1:1.2:1 or almost perfection. So on this issue at least men and women are in agreement. While women admire her facial features, men have voted her sexiest women in the FHM Sexiest Women poll for the last four years. Men also admired another of Lin Chi-ling's features: she was voted in a 2009 online poll as "the Queen of Beautiful Breasts".

Receiving honourable mention were actress and singer Vivian Hsu (徐若瑄; pinyin: Xú Ruòxuān) and socialite Tsai Yi-shan (蔡依珊). Although Hsu (pictured right) started out as a topless model and soft-core porn actress she has for many years now been a mainstream star. She is particularly popular in Japan where she sang in the popular-for-a-time dance band Black Biscuit. Now 36 years old, Hsu still retains her baby face looks which have helped endorse products like Biotherm body care products.

Tsai Yi-shan (left) comes from a wealthy family (her father is a shipping magnate, her mother a restrateur), and became even wealthier when she married businessman and KMT political heavyweight Sean Lien in 2006. The 31 year-old mother of two spent several years studying in Canada and the United States. Although Tsai claims she doesn't like social events, she is a favourite of paparazzi because of her stylish fashion sense and delicate features.

Although Lin Chi-ling's face was rated the closest to perfection amongst Taiwanese stars, Angeline Jolie rated even higher. Taiwan's plastic surgeons gave her a perfect 1:1:1 ratio - clearly they like bee-sting lips. The original media report can be found here, but in Chinese only.

March Flavour of the Month: Mavis Pan

Up until March 16, Mavis Pan (潘霜霜, pinyin: Pān Shuāngshuāng) was a minor model and aspiring actress, best known as a Shu Qi lookalike with a 36D bust. However when phone cell photos were released showing her in bed with Hong Kong's TVB heartthrob Raymond Lam (林峰, pinyin: Lín Fēng), the mainland born Mavis suddenly became a household name. It became news for at that time know one knew Lam was in a relationship. Once the photos were released, an upset Lam admitted that they had once been in an item together but that Lam had called off the relationship months earlier.

Like all good scandals, the revelations didn't stop there. Pan's side quickly counter-claimed that the relationship hadn't ended and indeed Lam had proposed on Valentine's Day. There were further rumours that Lam had visited her Beijing apartment just the day before the photos were exposed. Neither rumour could be confirmed, though gossip magazine Next Magazine, the originally publisher of the photos, showed alleged Valentine's Day photos of the two as a couple.

Then claims were made on the internet that Pan was/is in fact married to a Westerner know only as John. A photo was posted online showing Pan sitting arm in arm with an older Caucasian male, a young boy on her knee. The rumours were contradictory over whether the boy is Pan's son or not - one rumour had them meeting and marrying just two years ago, though the boy is six years old. In any case, Pan's management denied the marriage claims.

Then there was the question of how the photos managed to fall into the hands of Next Magazine. Pan claimed that her mobile phone had been stolen, while Pan's manager put the blame on a sacked personal assistant of Pan's now seeking revenge. Lam's fans on the net took the cynical view, that Pan had leaked the photos herself to gain publicity for her career.

24 year-old Pan was born in Zhejiang province on the mainland and is based in Beijing. She got a big break with her modelling career when she did a photoshoot for online betting agency bwin.com during the football World Cup in 2008. She made her acting debut in the yet-to-be-released action film Treasure Inn starring big-name Hong Kong stars Nicholas Tse, Nick Cheung and Charlene Choi. Now film production companies are lining up to sign her up for further roles.

Yao Chen - China's Most Popular Microblogger

It's probably the only thing they share in common but Lady Gaga and Chinese TV actress Yao Chen (姚晨) have the most followers on their respective microblogging services. Lady Gaga has long been recognised as Twitter's number 1 in terms of followers with over 8 million fans. In China however, where Twitter is officially banned if not entirely blocked, its Weibo that rules the microbloggersphere, and Yao Chen is the Queen of Weibo. Weibo, which is very similar in features to Twitter, is owned by Sina Corporation, China's biggest web portal. Although the social networking site was launched only 18 months ago, it already has an estimated 100 million users.

It's not entirely clear why Yao Chen has garnered such a large following. She's hardly a so-called "idol star" with a devoted and fanatical teenage fan-base, but rather a 31 year old respected TV actress. One explanation is that she interacts more than most celebrity bloggers with her followers. The frequency of her posts - often as much as 10 a day - is another factor. She was the first Weibo user to gain 1 million followers mid last year, and that number has since climbed to almost 6.4 million. Currently she is the 7th most popular microblogger in the world, but will most likely leap-frog Twitter users like Ashton Kutcher and Kim Kardashian over the coming weeks/months.

Yao Chen first came to prominence in the hit TV series My Own Swordsman in 2006. The martial arts comedy was one of the most popular TV series of that year and made her a star. In 2009 she starred in another hit series, the spy drama Lurk set in 1945, her performance winning her several acting awards. She is set to star in the movie version of My Own Swordsman this year.

In second place on Weibo's most popular list is Taiwan's TV host and actress, Dee Hsu (徐熙娣, pinyin: Xú Xīdì). She hosts the popular comedy talk show Here Comes Kangxi, and before that co-hosted 100% Entertainment with her older sister, Barbie Hsu. Known simply as Xiao S (or Little S), Hsu is often outspoken in her views, including those posted on Weibo. She currently has 5.47 million followers, which now puts her in the top ten global microbloggers. Just last week she added an additional 168,000 fans, and so it seems it's only a matter of time before she too reaches the 6 million mark.

Just behind Hsu is popular movie actress Zhao Wei (赵薇) with 5.3 million followers, and she too is on the verge of breaking into the global Top Ten list. The most popular Hong Kong blogger on Weibo is the singer-actress Gigi Leung (梁咏琪, pinyin: Liáng Yǒngqí). Again, her popularity might be considered surprising, as her acting career probably reached its pinnacle in 1996 with the hit romantic comedy Feel 100%, and she is also reportedly struggling to fill concert halls on her current singing tour. She has around 3.25 million followers, although that number received a further boost after her microblogging exploits were featured in a Wall Street Journal article.

The most recent numbers for microblog followers can be found at this The Independent on Sunday post.

February Flavour of the Month: Barbie Hsu

Barbie Hsu (徐熙媛, pinyin: Xú Xīyuàn), Taiwanese actress and TV show host, had a busy February that included a wedding announcement, a retirement and an award (albeit of the wrong kind).

Barbie Hsu in (Photoshopped) wedding dress - thanks Xinmin website

Earlier last month Hsu announced a wedding date for her marriage to multi-millionaire restaurateur Wang Xiaofei - to be held in the Chinese resort city of Sanya on Hainan island on March 22. It's actually the second ceremony for the two; in November last year they also got married, but in a low-key affair in Beijing almost immediately after announcing their engagement. Low-key understates it - not even the couple's parents attended the civil ceremony. The second ceremony will be much more extravagant, with Wang reportedly planning to spend NT$2.5 million (or US$85,000) on the occasion.

The Mainland-born Wang is an executive director with the restaurant chain South Beauty Restaurants. His father is the founder and chairman of the group, a business that reportedly has a net worth of NT$11.5 billion. The 29 year old Wang certainly has a way with the women. Previous girlfriends include actresses Zhang Ziyi and Kitty Zhang, and he can now add Hsu to the list of photogenic conquests.

Soon after the wedding announcement, Barbie Hsu also revealed that she would take a break from movies for an indefinite period. She said that she hoped to have children soon, adding fuel to the rumours that she is already pregnant. Those rumours first surfaced after her surprise engagement announcement in October last year and subsequent hasty initial marriage. Although Hsu has said she won't be making any movies or TV shows, she hasn't closed the door on lucrative TV commercials. She is already a serial endorser of products and services; Wikipedia's entry on her lists 21 brands that she promotes.

Not everyone will mourn the halt to her acting career. The Golden Broom awards, China's equivalent to the Golden Raspberries, last month nominated Hsu in the Most Disappointing Actress category. Hsu wasn't nominated for just one performance but three: Future X-Cops, Adventure of the King, and Reign of Assassins. I haven't seen the first two so can't comment, although she has already won a Golden Donkey, Taiwan's version of the Golden Raspberries, for Adventure of the King. The nomination for Reign of Assassins however seems a bit harsh, but unfortunately for Hsu, she has built a reputation over the years. Say the name Barbie Hsu and Chinese almost inevitably comment on her bad acting, and at times it seems like an almost knee-jerk reaction.

Hsu started her showbiz career initially as a singer, in a girl group called ASOS with her younger sister Dee Hsu. The two went on to acheive greater fame as co-hosts of the Taiwanese TV variety show, 100% Entertainment, a gig they held from 1998 to 2005. Hsu's career really took off in 2001 when she starred in the hit Taiwanese idol drama Meteor Garden and its sequel Meteor Garden II the following year. She is a regular on the FHM's Sexiest Women in the World lists and was also voted one of PETA's Sexiest Vegetarians in 2009.

January's Most Newsworthy: Selina Jen

Flavour of the Month is not the right term this time, but one person has dominated Chinese entertainment headlines over the month just passed. When Selina Jen (任家萱, pinyin: Rèn Jiāxuān) of one of Taiwan's most popular groups, S.H.E, sustained shocking burns in an on-set accident, it was arguably the biggest entertainment story in China of 2010. The accident happened on October 22, while Selina was filming an episode of the TV series, I Have a Date With Spring, in Shanghai. Selina and her co-star, mainland actor Yu Haoming, were filming a scene where they had to run from a burning building. But the scene went awry when explosions were set off at the wrong time, engulfing the two stars in flames.

Both Selina and Yu received third-degree burns, Selina to 53 percent of her body. Selina was hospitalised for over 90 days, much of it in intensive care, and underwent surgery and skin grafts. It has been the darkest of times for the 29 year old singer with the gentle nature; however last month she and her fans began to receive some good news. On January 17 she made her first public appearance, alongside her two other S.H.E bandmates. Already hugely popular, the 29 year old singer would have won over even more fans with the courage she displayed facing the media. In an emotional speech she showed bravery and determination, vowing that she would return to the group. She was finally released from hospital on 19 January, though spare a thought for Yu who remains hospitalised.

Initially after the accident there was a public silence from the television makers and the production company, Hunan TV, despite criticism over the lack of safety measures for actors. Hunan TV denied rumours that the pyrotechnics staff were at fault, instead blaming faulty equipment. The series director, Chen Ming-chang, issued an apology on his blog (incurring more criticism for not fronting the media directly). Then in a second apology Chen accepted the blame for not overseeing the filming properly. Meanwhile Selina's record company, HIM International Music, was in negotiations with Hunan TV over compensation. The good news continued for Selina when it was just announced that Hunan TV have agreed to a compensation package that includes all her medical and rehabilitation expenses, and a payment equivalent to one year's earnings. The production company also issued an apology.

In more good news, some companies provided a show of support to Selina last month by expressing their intentions to have her endorse their products. HIM International Music announced that five companies had invited Selina to endorse products ranging from clothes to fruit juice to skin care products. The singer had earlier admitted to fearing that with minor burns to her face it might be difficult to relaunch her career again. Although those around her have been emphasising that her recovery will be slow and challenging, the positive news over the last few weeks has made the outlook much more optimistic than in the gloomy months after the accident.

Fan Bingbing heads the list of China’s Young, Rich and Famous

The Chinese entertainment web portal, Sina.com, has calculated the 2010 earnings of entertainment stars under the age of 30. It then came up with a top 10 of Young Rich and Famous Chinese Celebrities (English translation at this Asian Fanatics post). The list is dominated by singers, who filled eight of the ten places. Five of the celebrities are Taiwanese, three are from mainland China, and just two are from Hong Kong – another symptom perhaps of the current poor health of the Hong Kong entertainment industry. Eight of the ten are women.

At the top of the list by a clear margin is mainland actress Fan Bingbing (范冰冰 - pictured above right), with an estimated income in 2010 of 62.5 million yuan (US$9.5 million). Although as an actress she is in demand as a box office drawcard, and she endorses a string of products, her earnings would also have been helped by her business dealings. The 29 year old has built a reputation as a wily businesswoman through her involvement in her own production company.

The three singers that make up Taiwanese girl group S.H.E occupy positions 2, 3 and 5 on the list. At number 2 is Selina Jen (任家萱, pinyin: Rèn Jiāxuān) with earnings of 43.5 million yuan (US$6.6 million) in 2010, in what was otherwise an annus horribilis for her. In October she suffered shocking injuries in an on-set accident while filming a new movie, I Have a Date with Spring. Three months later the 29 year old still remains in hospital with third-degree burns to over 50 percent of her body and her career in limbo.

The other two members of the group, Hebe Tien (田馥甄, pinyin: Tián Fūzhēn) and Ella Chen (陈嘉桦, pinyin: Chén Jiāhuà), earned 41 million yuan and 36 million yuan respectively. At number 4 is mainland singer Jane Zhang (张靓颖 Zhang Liangying), a former runner-up in the Chinese version of American Idol, Super Girls. In 2010 she earned 38 million yuan.

The highest ranked Hong Kong celebrity is Charlene Choi (蔡卓妍, pinyin - Cài Zhuóyán), one half of the singing duo Twins. The rankings probably underestimated her income as it doesn’t include earnings from her recordings. Almost half her 35.5 million yuan was earned through endorsements, with film earnings providing almost a third and the rest from concert ticket sales. Pop star Rainie Yang (杨丞琳, pinyin: Yáng Chénglín), Taiwan’s unofficial “Cute Princess” and official “Queen of Endorsements”, was ranked number 7.

Hong Kong-based singer Khalil Fong (方大同, pinyin: Fāng Dàtóng ) was the highest ranked male celebrity on the list at number 8. The Hawaiian-born R&B singer earned 26.85 million yuan in 2010. Jam Hsiao (萧敬腾 pinyin: Xiāo Jìngténg), at just 23 years old was the youngest in the top ten. Another graduate from a TV talent show, Taiwan’s One Million Star, the rising idol earned 26.85 million yuan in 2010. Rounding off the top ten is mainland actor Sun Li (孙俪), best-known for her television roles.

1. Fan Bingbing - 29yo Mainland actress - 62.5 million yuan (US$9.5 million)
2. Selina Jen - 29yo Taiwan singer - 43.5 million yuan (US$6.6 million)
3. Hebe Tien - 27 yo Taiwan singer - 41 million yuan (US$6.2 million)
4. Jane Zhang - 26yo Mainland singer - 38 million yuan (US$5.75 million)
5. Ella Chen - 29yo Taiwan singer - 36 million yuan (US$5.45 million)
6. Charlene Choi - 28yo Hong Kong singer - 35.5 million yuan (US$5.35 million)
7. Rainie Yang - 26yo Taiwan singer - 29.4 million yuan (US$4.45 million)
8. Khalil Fong - 27yo Hong Kong singer - 28.8 million yuan (US$4.35 million)
9. Jam Hsiao - 23yo Taiwan singer - 26.85 million yuan (US4.05 million)
10. Sun Li - 28yo Mainland actress - 26 million ($US3.9 million)

Xinhua's Top 10 Female Cover Stars

The Xinhua website has nominated its Top Ten Cover Female Stars of 2010, based on appearances on the covers of the Chinese editions of leading fashion magazines. It can be taken as a measure of a star’s popularity, and provides an overview of who's currently considered the most glamorous/stylish/photogenic in the Chinese entertainment industry.

Nine of the ten stars are actors, the other a singer. Reflecting the growing dominance of the Chinese mainland in entertainment, eight of the ten are mainland stars, one was born on the mainland before moving to Hong Kong as a teenager, and the other is from Taiwan.

Zhou Xun - Queen of the Cover Girls

Zhou Xun (周迅)
The 34 year old actress, who CNN once dubbed “China’s Queen of Quirk” was red hot in 2009, winning Best Actress awards at the Golden Roosters and Asian Film Awards. In 2010 she appeared in two films, the historical biopic Confucious and Hong Kong martial arts movie True Legend, neither of which had much of an impact at the box office. This year she’s set to star alongside several other leading Chinese actresses in another historical epic, about the famous Yang Lady Generals. A well-known story from Chinese history, about a group of Song Dynasty women who set out to avenge their husbands killed on the battlefield.

Zhao Wei (赵薇)
Despite her likeable screen persona and comic gifts, the 34 year old Zhao Wei has had an often bumpy relationship with the Chinese public. She took a break from filming in 2010 as she became a mother for the first time. As well as celebrating motherhood she was awarded Best Actress at both the Shanghai Film Critics Awards and One Hundred Flowers Awards for her performance in Mulan. Also in 2010 her most recent film, 14 Blades, was released, although to lukewarm reviews. Her next film will be the time-travelling romantic drama, Underground Resistance.

Li Bingbing (李冰冰)
A year ago the 34 year old Li Bingbing topped a successful 2009 with the Best Actress Award for The Message at Taiwan’s prestigious Golden Horse Awards. She had another hit movie in 2010 with the action mystery Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame, but bombed out with the Hong Kong thriller Triple Tap. This year she will star for the first time in an English language film, Wayne Wang’s Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. Will it be the breakout movie that turns her into an international star?

Zhang Ziyi (章子怡)
2010 was a quiet year filmwise for the 31 year old, though she still featured prominently in the news headlines. Early in the year she was embroiled in controversy over claims she failed to donate all the money she had pledged to Sichuan earthquake relief efforts. She later apologised and made up the shortfall, which was blamed on an error by her brokers. And the year ended with an announcement that her engagement with billionaire Vivi Nevo was over. On the positive side, she was named CineAsia’s Actress of the Decade at a Hong Kong industry trade fair. This year she will appear in Wong Kar-Wai’s latest film, a martial arts epic called The Grandmasters, as well as an English-language version of Mulan.

Fan Bingbing (范冰冰)
The in-demand actress (12 films plus 1 TV series completed or in the pipeline in the three year period 2009-11) is the youngest of the ten stars at 29 years old. She recently won Best Actress at the Tokyo Film Festival for Buddha Mountain, and will also star in the much anticipated martial arts blockbuster, Shaolin, alongside Andy Lau and Jacky Chan, as well as the new Chen Kaige historical drama, Sacrifice. She was just recently named at number one in a list of young rich and famous Chinese celebrities (link here, but in Chinese). More awards could soon be on the way.

Wang Fei (王菲)
41 year old Beijing born but Hong Kong raised Wang Fei is the only non-actor on the list. The iconic pop diva famous for her other-worldly voice and haunting ballads came out of semi-retirement in 2010. She appeared at the Spring Festival Gala performance, a Chinese New Year tradition that attracts hundreds of millions of viewers every year. She also sang the theme song for the Confucious soundtrack, and embarked on a sell-out concert tour in Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei and Hong Kong.

Tang Wei (汤唯)
Another comeback queen of sorts, 31 year old Tang Wei achieved notoriety back in 2007 with the film Lust, Caution. In the film she bared all for some explicit sex scenes, then fell foul of conservative sections of the Chinese government and media. She found herself unofficially blacklisted and disappeared from the spotlight. Her penance apparently served, she returned to the screen in 2009 with the romantic comedy Crossing Hennessy, a role which earned her a Best Actress nomination at the Golden Horse Awards. In 2010 she starred alongside Korean star Hyun Bin in the US production Late Autumn, a love story between two immigrants in America. Her rehabilitation now complete, she will star alongside other big-name Chinese actresses in the upcoming Yang Lady Generals movie.

Shu Qi (舒淇)
The 34 year-old Taiwanese actress has made one of cinema’s most remarkable transformations, from soft-corn porn starlet to critically acclaimed mainstream leading lady. Her latest film, the romantic comedy If You Are The One 2, is vying with Aftershock and Let the Bullets Fly for the honour of China’s biggest grossing film of all time. Last year she was also nominated for a Best Actress award at the Hong Kong Film Awards for another rom-com, Look For A Star. On a less successful note, she also appeared in the heavily panned City Under Siege, and the lukewarmly-received martial arts actioner Legend of the Fist.

Xu Jinglei (徐静蕾)
Actress, director and blogger (she writes one of the world’s most visited blogs according to Technocrati), the 38 year old is known for her acting versatility. In 2010 she directed and starred in the romantic comedy Go Lala Go, which she also adapted from a best-selling novel. She’ll next appear in Eternal Moment, a romantic drama that will be released, fittingly, on Valentine’s Day. It’s the sequel to a 1998 TV drama series, Cherish Our Love Forever, the show that gave Xu her first break. Other original cast members will also return for the sequel.

Zhang Jingchu (张静初)
The 30 year old Fujian-born actress has long been touted as a candidate for superstardom, though her preference for roles in arthouse productions ahead of blockbusters has hindered her progress. She has appeared in more populist fare of late, including the biggest movie of 2010, Aftershock. Her shift to the mainstream wasn’t all smooth sailing however - she also starred in two shockers, Flirting Scholar 2 and City Under Siege.

Taiwan Men Vote: Lin Chi-ling is the Sexiest

Lin Chi-ling (林志玲, pinyin: Lín Zhìlíng) has been voted the sexiest woman in the world by readers of the Taiwanese edition of lads' magazine FHM. It's the fourth year in the row she has topped the 100 Sexiest Women in the World list, confirming her status as Taiwan's number one pin-up girl. Although not well-known outside of Asia, in her home country she is a household name and genuine supermodel.

Lin is now in her second decade as a model, although her popularity only took off in 2004 when she was romantically linked with pop idol Jerry Yan. She has tried to branch out from modelling as a TV host and, more recently, actress. She had a role in the historical epic Red Cliff - although apparently her trademark high-pitched voice was dubbed over. Just last month debuted on Japanese TV screens in the soap opera Tsuki no Koibito (Moon Lovers). Despite appearing alongside one of Japan's most popular actors, Kimura Takuya, ratings have been in steady decline and the series may even face cancellation.

The Top Ten of the FHM list was dominated by local girls, with eight of the ten from Taiwan. The only non-Taiwanese in the top ten were American pop singer Lady Gaga (Number 2) and Victoria's Secret model and Sports Illustrated cover girl, Marisa Miller (Number 5). At number three was Aimee Sun (孫芸芸, pinyin: Sūn Yúnyún), the 32 year-old businesswoman and model probably best known for her ads more than anything else. She's a regular on the FHM lists, featuring in the top 20 the past four years. Last year she came in at number 14.

At number four is Taiwan's Queen of Dance Pop, Jolin Tsai (蔡依林, pinyin: Cài Yīlín), slipping two places from her runners-up position in the 2009 list. A former news anchorwoman, Patty Hou (侯佩岑, pinyin: Hóu Pèicén) was voted number 6. The US educated Hou began her career reading the English-language news on Taiwan cable TV. She has since moved to hosting entertainment and fashion shows and will appear in her first soap opera this year. She is also famous for a short-lived but highly publicised relationship with singing superstar Jay Chou five years ago.

The final four positions in the top ten were taken by Taiwanese models. At number 7, Tia Lee (李毓芬, pinyin: Lǐ Yùfēn), followed by Amber Ann (安心亚, pinyin: An Xīnyà) one of the new co-hosts of popular Taiwanese variety show Guess Guess Guess. Number 9 is Barbara Hsu (许维恩, pinyin: Xǔ Wéiēn), while Jenna Wang (王思平, pinyin: Wáng Sīpíng) rounds off the top 10. And in a shameless attempt to boost my blog hits, I've included photos of them all.












Clockwise from top left: Tia Lee, Barbara Hsu, Jenna Wang and Amber Ann

May Flavour of the Month: Cross Dressers

In the month of May and a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love, or, in China's case, putting on women's clothes. There were a spate of cross-dressing episodes last month, the most notorious involving Liu Zhu (刘著), a contestant on the mainland's Super Boy talent show. Although in the Mandopop world pretty boys are as common as lip-synching, Liu Zhu took it to the next level when he appeared on Hunan TV's popular singing contest.

His appearance in full drag provoked a now notorious response from one of the guest judges, Anni Meigui. Meigui kept interrupting the hapless Liu, questioning whether he was eligible for the all-male contest, even summoning the internet's human-flesh searchers to check his background. Ironically, netizens turned on the rude and abrasive judge and sympathised with Liu Zhu instead - a reflection perhaps of changing mores in Chinese society.

Liu progressed past the early rounds of the Super Boy competition, but was eliminated before reaching the final 25. Immediately a conspiracy theory sprang up, that the Chinese government through its State Administration of Radio, Television and Film (SARTF), had ordered the show's producers to remove Liu from the contest. (The EastSouthWestNorth website has translations of media coverage of the conspiracy theory). The theory goes that Liu is hardly a poster boy for wholesome values and mainstream culture, so SARTF - as guardians of mainstream culture - intervened. But then, if you started banning every man who dressed up as a woman and sung, it would mean the end of that bastion of Chinese culture, Peking opera. Perhaps a more plausible theory for Liu's elimination is that, despite his admirable courage in putting himself out so to speak, he just wasn't a good enough singer.

Another "is-she-a-boy?" scandal, this time in Hong Kong, erupted when B-grade movie producer Stephen Siu alleged that a former Miss Hong Kong placegetter had been in fact a Mister. Siu claimed in a radio interview that a transsexual had finished in the top three of a past Miss Hong Kong Pageant. The Pageant, organised by TV station TVB, is one of the premier events on the Hong Kong show business pageant, and has been the launching pad for dozens of acting and singing careers. Notable finalists in the Pageant's 37-year history include Maggie Cheung, Ada Choi, Charmaine Sheh and Anita Yuen.

Unfortunately Siu declined to reveal the name of the transsexual, the only clue given that she/he was a contestant from sometime in the past 12 years. This immediately sparked a frenzy of groundless conjecture from the media, with Anne Heung (pictured left) and Hoyan Mok - both former winners - pronounced the chief suspects. Alex Fong, husband of Mok, will no doubt be surprised by the revelation.

Even Taiwan had its own "fake girl" episode. (伪娘 or wěi niáng, literally "fake girl" is a neulogism that has only become popular in recent months to describe the fad/fashion of men dressing as females). Former Taiwanese Super Idol winner Eison had a public appearance interrupted by a cross-dressing fan. The fan presented the singer, celebrating his birthday that day, with a birthday bun...from her chest. At least Eison appears to be enjoying his close-up experience with transgenderism. (Photo and story courtesy of CpopAccess).

Jay Chou Makes Most Creative Business People List

Jay Chou in businessman pose

US business magazine, Fast Company's most recent editition put together a list of the 100 Most Creative People in Business 2010. The list was headed by the suddenly ubiquitous Lady Gaga, and includes filmmakers James Cameron and Spike Jonze, several company CEOs, CIOs and CTOs, a celebrity chef (Jamie Oliver) and, coming in at number 70, Taiwan's biggest-name entertainer Jay Chou (周杰伦, pinyin: Zhōu Jiélún).

Jay Chou was recognised for his skill in turning a singer-songwriting career into a multi-million dollar business that encompasses TV, films, theme restaurants and dessert shops selling Jay Chou memorabilia. Fast Company reports his earnings last year at US$17.5 million - and that was in a year when he didn't release an album. With a just released CD, upcoming world concert tour, and a starring role in the Hollywood blockbuster Green Hornet, he should more than match those earnings in 2010.

It's been quiet a month for Jay. Two weeks ago he released his new album, The Era, which promptly went straight to number one on the charts. Earlier Forbes China magazine had named him China's second most powerful celebrity behind Jackie Chan. However, the 31 year-old also experienced the flipside of fame this month when B-list celebrity Honey Chen claimed that Jay Chou tried to kiss her despite her refusals - accusations that the singer laughed off. The revelations were made on the aptly-named Gossip Queen TV show, and most observers felt it was more an exercise in self-promotion by the 20 year-old model.

Jackie Chan Rated China's Most Powerful Star by Forbes

Forbes China Magazine released its annual 100 Chinese Celebrities List, which aims to measure China's most powerful stars. It uses a formula based on annual income, number of search engine hits, press coverage and magazine cover appearances. For the first time, the List has been extended to cover not just the mainland but Hong Kong and Taiwan as well. Which has meant a new number one, Hong Kong's action star Jackie Chan (成龙, pinyin: Chéng Lóng) muscling NBA basketballer Yao Ming (姚明) from the top position.

Jackie Chan earned his top position through his consistently high ranking across all four categories Forbes used to measure celebrity status. Chan was the second highest earning Chinese celebrity, and also number two in terms of press coverage. He was the fifth ranked for search engine hits, and seventh for magazine and TV appearances. Despite this, 2009 was a relatively quiet year for the actor: Shinjuku Incident was a moderate success, while The Spy Next Door, released at the beginning of 2010, was critically panned. However, his latest release, the historical action film Little Big Soldier, has been a big earner at the box office.

At number two on the List is Taiwan's superstar singer, actor, director and producer Jay Chou (周杰伦, pinyin: Zhōu Jiélún). The past twelve months haven't been a great period for Jay, with the much hyped TV series Panda Men failing to win an audience. There were also no record releases in that period, though his latest album, The Era, will be out this month. Despite the barren run, Forbes estimated he was China's third highest earner, and he also rated highly for internet searches and press coverage.

Another Hong Kong star, actor-singer Andy Lau (刘德华, pinyin: Liú Déhuá), was at number three. He was the sixth highest earning celebrity, but ranked number 2 and number 3 in terms of internet searches and press coverage. Unfortunately for Lau, most of that coverage was of the negative kind, when it was revealed that Andy was secretly married , after years of strenuous denials.

Yao Ming, at number four, was the highest ranking mainlander, as well as the highest earning celebrity (255 million yuan, or about US$37 million). Yao was also the number one in terms of newspaper coverage. Number one in magazine and TV coverage was mainland actress Zhang Ziyi (章子怡), although again not all of it would have been positive as she too endured a rocky past twelve months. Overall Forbes rated her number five on their list of powerful celebrities. The number ranked for internet searches was popular mainland comedian Xiao Shenyang (小沈阳), though overall he was well down on the list at number 30.

Another comedian, veteran performer Zhao Benshan (赵本山), was number 6 on the list, while Taiwanese singer Jolin Tsai (蔡依林, pinyin: Cài Yīlín) made number 7. Two actors, Donnie Yen (甄子丹, pinyin: Zhēn Zǐdān) and Fan Bingbing (范冰冰) were number 8 and 10 respectively, while track star Liu Xiang (刘翔) came in at number 9.

The full list of all 100 celebrities can be found at the Forbes China website, but in Chinese.

Best-Selling Novelist Nominated for Time's Most Influential People

Time Magazine has generated a lot of publicity, in China at least, with its publication of a list of nominees for its 100 Most Influential People list. Representing China are a handful of politicians, businessmen and dissidents/civil rights activists, but one name alone has generated most discussion.

Han Han (韩寒) - novelist, essayist, blogger, singer, online entrepreneur and rally driver - has attracted controversy from the moment he first burst on the literary scene. That was back in 2000 when as a precocious 17 year old he had his first novel, Triple Doors (三重门), published. That novel went on to become the biggest selling literary work in China in the past 20 years. Triple Doors struck a chord with millions of young Chinese with its scathing criticism of the Chinese education system and the spirit-breaking pressures it places on schoolchildren.

Han Han has since written a further four novels, and although sales have been respectable he has yet to repeat his initial success. Nevertheless his fame has continued to grow through his provocative and controversial essays and blog articles. His blog is one of the most popular in China in terms of hits and page views, with its spats with fellow celebrities, critiques of Chinese society and thinly veiled criticisms of government. He's regarded as a spokesman for the post-1980s generation, and his idol good looks have only added to his strong following amongst many young people.

Not everyone's a fan however, and not just the establishment he takes so much delight in attacking. A lot of goodwill he earned from his first novel has slowly disappeared, with people writing him off as the literary equivalent of a one-hit wonder. In a relatively controlled society like China where public criticism and outspokedness is frowned upon, his opinionated views can also put him offside with the general public.

It's no surprise that such a polarising figure has also divided Chinese with his Time Magazine nomination. Some have questioned whether he is as influential as Time seems to believe, while others wonder whether there are better, worthier writers who should have been nominated. And the Government-run media has seen the nomination as yet another plot by the West to undermine the Communist Party by championing its critics (see this informative China Digital Times article for more details and links to the articles in question).

Meanwhile, Han Han's supporters have rallied to the cause, voting in numbers on Time's online poll to ensure he makes the Top 100. Currently he's ranked number six in online votes. The final Top 100 list will be announced in early May.

Locals Hold Their Own at 2nd Singapore Entertainment Awards

The 2nd Singapore Entertainment Awards were announced last week with awards announced for music, TV and movies. Two types of prizes were given - the most popular awards as voted by the public, and "Best of" awards voted by a panel of judges from the media.

In the popular awards, Singapore's own JJ Lin (pictured left) won two awards - Most Popular Local Singer and Most Popular Music Video. Another Singaporean, Stephanie Sun, was awarded Most Popular Female Singer while Taiwan's Show Luo was named Most Popular Male Singer. Hong Kong's Eason Chan won his usual suitcase-load of awards: Best Male Singer, Golden Chart Male Singer of the Year, Golden Chart Song of the Year (For You) and Best Album (5F/Blissful).

In the TV categories there were awards handed out to Hong Kong and Taiwan small screen stars. Two stars of the hit Hong Kong series Beyond the Realm of Conscience, Moses Chan and Charmaine Sheh, were named Most Popular Male and Female TV Actor respectively. In the Taiwan categories, Most Popular Male TV Actor was Mark Zhao, last seen in the crime drama Black and White. The Actress award went to singer/actor Rainie Yang, who starred in the romantic comedy series Hi My Sweetheart.

A selection of some of the main award winners are:
Most Popular Male Singer - Show Luo (罗志祥)
Most Popular Female Singer - Stephanie Sun (孙燕姿)
Most Popular Local Singer - JJ Lin (林俊杰)
Most Popular Band - Mayday (五月天)
Most Popular Group - S.H.E
Most Popular Regional Newcomer - Alien Huang (黄鸿升)
Most Popular Music Video - JJ Lin (林俊杰), However Many Hundred Days (第几个100 天)

Best Album - Eason Chan (陈奕迅), 5F/Blissful (上五楼的快活)
Best Local Singer - Tanya Chua (蔡健雅)
Best Male Singer - Eason Chan (陈奕迅)
Best Female Singer - Tanya Chua (蔡健雅)

Best Asian Movie - Mother (South Korea)

Most Popular Hong Kong TV Actor - Moses Chan (陈豪)
Most Popular Hong Kong TV Actress - Charmaine Sheh (佘诗曼)
Most Popular Taiwan TV Actor - Mark Chao (赵又廷)
Most Popular Taiwan TV Actress - Rainie Yang (杨丞琳)

Radio 100.3 U Chart Song of the Year - Kelvin Tan (陈伟联), Forever Friends (分手的情书)
Radio 100.3 Most Popular Song - Yoga Lin (林宥嘉), You Are What You Eat (看见什么吃什么)
Global Chinese Golden Chart Male Singer of the Year - Eason Chan (陈奕迅)
Global Chinese Golden Chart Female Singer of the Year - A-Mei (张惠妹)
Global Chinese Golden Chart New Generation Artistes Of the Year - Yoga Lin (林宥嘉) and Rachael Liang (梁文音)
Global Chinese Golden Chart Group of the Year - Mayday (五月天)
Global Chinese Golden Chart Song Of The Year - Eason Chan (陈奕迅), For You (给你)

The full list of winners can be found here (PDF file and in Chinese).

TVB General Manager Arrested in Corruption Case

Stephen Chan (陈志云, pinyin: Chén Zhìyún), a general manager with Hong Kong's largest TV network, TVB, has been arrested by Hong Kong's Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). Chan, three other TVB employees and an executive of an advertising and production company were all arrested on Thursday March 11 "in relation to corruption allegations". They are alleged to have cheated TVB out of HK$10 million (about US$1.3 million).

While ICAC has yet to release details of the case, the allegations are believed to centre on the actions of a shell company established by Chan and his cohorts. Chan is suspected of awarding TVB production contracts to his shell company, then outsourcing them to other production companies at a cheaper price and pocketing the difference. A second set of allegations is believed to concern the shell company's charging shopping centres and other promotional outlets appearance fees for TVB stars, but not passing the fees on to the stars. Stephen Chan may also be charged with accepting bribes.

As General Manager of broadcasting, a post he held from 2003, Chan was one of TVB's highest ranking executives. He was also the best known to the public, courtesty of a hosting role on the interview show Be My Guest. His dual role as executive and on-screen star was a controversial one, with critics claiming his hosting duties were distracting him from his management responsibilities. Only last month Chan had denied rumours that he would soon leave TVB.

The other four people arrested were TVB head of business development Wilson Chan, variety department executive producer Wilson Chin, TVB actor Ning Jin, and Edthancy Tseng Pei Kun, the director of Idea Empire advertising production company. ICAC has yet to lay any charges, but all four TVB employees were suspended by the station after the arrests.

Little Tigers Voted Favourite Act at CCTV New Year's Gala

CCTV's New Year's Gala (中国中央电视台春节联欢晚会) has become an institution for Chinese viewers, as symbolic of Spring Festival as dumplings and red envelopes. An estimated audience of 700 million tune in to watch the variety show every year on Chinese New Year's Eve. Its popularity may be slowly slipping, especially with the younger generation, but it remains the most talked about TV event in mainland China. Unknown acts can, with an impressive performance on the show, become instant sensations, while established stars vie for guest spots each year.

Two week's after the Gala, on Lantern Festival Day, CCTV hosts another variety program, the My Favourite Spring Festival Evening Show. At this ceremony the favourite acts in a variety of categories from the Gala show are announced. One of the biggest hits of this year's Gala show was the reunion of Taiwan's original boy band, Little Tigers (小虎队, pinyin: Xiǎo Hǔ Duì). The three-member group, made up of Benny Chen, Alec Su and Nicky Wu, formed in 1988 and were an instant success not just in Taiwan but across the Chinese-speaking world. Their career lasted just six years, but their popularity paved the way for a succession of boy bands.

On the New Year's Gala Show Little Tigers performed three of their biggest hits: Love, Fly Butterfly and Green Apple Paradise. They were voted the Favourite Act in the Song and Dance category, finishing ahead of another comeback star, Wang Fei. The wave of nostalgia their act provoked amongst viewers has sparked rumours that the trio may get back together permanently.

The Gala Show is as much about comedy skits as it is about music, and the king of comedy acts for this year, as voted by the viewers, was veteran performer Zhao Benshan (赵本山). It was the Gala Show that gave Zhao his first break back in 1987, and he has been a Gala Show stalwart ever since, appearing every year but one over the past 24 years. Born in 1958 in north-east China - the home of many of China's best comic performers - Zhao has also had a successful acting career. In 2007 he was nominated for Best Actor at Taiwan's Golden Horse awards for his performance in the drama-comedy Getting Home.

A third category awarded at the Lantern Festival show is the "Opera, Folk and Other" category. For the second year in a row Taiwanese magician Lu Chen (刘谦, pinyin: Liú Qiān) was voted the favourite act. The 33 year-old has had his own show on Taiwanese TV since 2003, but really hit the big-time last year on the Gala Show. His appearance launched a craze for magic acts, and magician classes reported a sudden increase in enrolments last year.

This year's performance by Lu Chen was not without its critics, including one of China's most outspoken writers, Han Han. Han criticised Lu's act as "an immense disappointment", "professionally unethical" and put on by "a bunch of swindlers". This outburst in turn provoked a curt but angry response from Lu Chen. The exchange is comprehensively covered by the excellent Danwei blog. To quote from Danwei, it wouldn't be "a proper CCTV Spring Festival Gala without a scandal or two".

(Source, in Chinese: this Yahoo article)

Show Luo Named Most Popular Entertainer at Baidu Hot Point Awards

Baidu, one of China's largest search engines, announced its annual Hot Point Awards in conjunction with Hunan Satellite TV on 31 January. At a ceremony held in Beijing awards were given out to honour both singers and actors from the mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan, and covering the full spectrum of music, TV and films. An award was given to the Most Popular All-round Entertainer, going to Taiwanese pop singer, dancer, TV host and actor, Show Luo (罗志祥, pinyin: Luó Zhīxián, pictured left after the awards). Baidu also awarded a "Boiling Point Artist" (ie his/her popularity is running at very hot levels), which went to the comedian Xiao Shenyang (小沈阳).

In the movie awards, the actor-comedian Huang Bo, most recently seen in the hit film Cow, was named Most Popular Mainland Male Actor, while in a bit of a surprise the Actress award went to rising star Yao Chen who this year appeared in the Zhang Ziyi film Sophie's Revenge and the TV spy series Undercover. In the non-Mainland category, Hong Kong actor Louis Koo, who starred in Undercover, was named Best Actor, and Best Actress went to another comic actor, Hong Kong's Sandra Ng. Most popular film went to a mainland production, the war-time spy thriller The Message, while Hunan TV's idol drama, Meteor Shower, was most popular TV series.

In the music awards, former Super Girl winner Li Yuchun was named Most Popular Mainland Female Singer. She was the Super Girl winner in 2005, while the runner-up in the same year Zhou Bichang (sometimes known as Bibi Chou) won awards for Best Idol and Most Popular Idol. Another TV singing competition winner, Zhang Jie - who won My Show in 2004, was a co-winner of the Best Idol award. Two Taiwanese singers, R&B superstar David Tao, and Elva Hsiao took the titles of Most Popular non-Mainland Male and Female Singer respectively.

Film and TV Awards
Most popular mainland male actor: Huang Bo (黄渤)
Most popular mainland female actor: Yao Chen (姚晨)
Most popular Hong Kong and Taiwan male actor: Louis Koo (古天乐, pinyin: Gǔ Tiānlè)
Most popular Hong Kong and Taiwan actress: Sandra Ng (吴君如, pinyin: Wú Jūnrú)
Most popular cutting edge actor: Wang Luodan (王珞丹)
Most popular director: Lu Chuan (陆川)
Most popular film: The Message (风声)
Most popular drama series: Meteor Shower (一起来看流星雨)

Music Awards
Most popular mainland group: Yu Quan (羽泉)
Most popular mainland male singer: Wang Feng (汪峰)
Most popular mainland female singer: Li Yuchun (李宇春)
Most popular Hong Kong and Taiwan group: S.H.E
Most popular Hong Kong and Taiwan male singer: David Tao (陶喆, pinyin: Táo Zhé)
Most popular Hong Kong and Taiwan female singer: Elva Hsiao (萧亚轩, pinyin: Xiāo Yǎxuān)
Most popular idol: Zhou Bichang (周笔畅)
Best Idols: Zhou Bichang (周笔畅) and Zhang Jie (张杰)

Baidu also has a popular MP3 search feature, and compiles a list of most popular songs based on the number of searches and downloads. For 2009 the top ten songs were:

1. Sichuan Embroidery (蜀绣) - Li Yuchun
2. Diamond Sugar (钻石糖) - Elva Hsiao
3. Compromise (妥协) - Jolin Tsai
4. Perfect (非常完美) - Harlem Yu and Angela
5. Do Not Shed Tears for Him (别再为他流泪) - Fish Leong
6. Preferance (偏爱) - Zhang Yunjing
7. Long Live The Lovely (可爱万岁) - S.H.E
8. Ridiculous (搞笑) - Show Luo
9. Give Love (爱得起) - Gigi Leung
10. Leo (狮子座) - Zeng Yike

The list of individual winners can be found at this website, but in Chinese only. The top ten songs are listed here, but again in Chinese.

China's Most Stylish Entertainers According to MTV

In Shanghai last week MTV Asia held what is turning into an annual event, the MTV Style Gala. Awards were given across the entertainment industry, covering singers, actors, models and, um, charity organisers.

Six singers in total were presented with awards. Jane Zhang (张靓颖, pinyin: Zhāng Liàngyǐng) was named the most stylish female singer from mainland China, then kind of spoiled the effect by turning up in an outfit that would have been laughed at even in the '80s (pictured right). The most stylish female singer from Hong Kong was Karen Mok (莫文蔚, pinyin: Mò Wénwèi), while from Taiwan it went to Tanya Tsai (蔡健雅, pinyin: Cài Jiànyǎ)...although technically that should be Singapore's award.

For the male singers, the awards couldn't have covered a wider range of styles. There's the down-to-earth look of veteran rock singer Xu Wei (许巍, mainland China), the modish R&B star Khalil Fong (方大同, pinyin: Fāng Dàtóng - Hong Kong) and the bad boy aura of Stanley Huang (黄立行, pinyin: Huáng Lìxíng - Taiwan). Two groups won prizes for most stylish group, Taiwanese boy band Farenheit (飞轮海, pinyin: Fēilúnhǎi) and Beijing indie rockers Super VC (果味VC, Guǒwèi VC).

There were also prizes for the actors. Gao Yuanyuan (高圆圆), whose fresh look first got her a start in commercials before hitting the big time, won most stylish actress. Meanwhile Donnie Yen (甄子丹, pinyin: Zhēn Zǐdān), capped off possibly the most successful year in his 25-year career, with the most stylish actor award.

There were also awards given to the most stylish model, Du Juan (杜鵑), a former Miss China and the first ever cover girl for the Chinese edition of Vogue. And in MTV's nod to social activism the "most stylish charity achievement" prize was given to Jackie Chan (成龙, pinyin: Chéng Lóng).

November Flavour of the Month: Sir Run Run Shaw

Sir Run Run Shaw (邵逸夫, pinyin: Shào Yìfū), Hong Kong's preeminent TV and movie mogul, last month announced his retirement after eight decades in the entertainment business. Retirement in this case means stepping back from his executive role, although he will continue to retain the honourary title of company chairman. The decision was first announced in October, but became official at TVB's 42nd Anniversary Gala a few weeks ago.

However, Shaw's retreat from public life has proved short-lived. On November 26, it was announced that the grand old name of Hong Kong movie production houses, Shaw Studios, would crank out films again after a long absence. Three films are already in production, with the first of them, Seventy Two Tenants of Prosperity due to be released in time for next year's Spring Festival.

Shaw, affectionately known as Luk Suk or Sixth Uncle, was born in either 1906 or 1907, possibly October or November - no one seems to be clear on the exact details. In any case it makes him at least a sprightly 101 years old. He was born just outside Shanghai and entered the nascent film business back in 1924 - that's back in the era of silent movies. He and his brothers built up a film distribution and exhibition business with operations on both sides of the Pacific. Eventually Shaw settled in Hong Kong in 1959 and established Shaw Brothers Productions. By the 1970s the company had become the largest privately owned studio in the world churning out around 40 films a year.

Although Shaw Studios produced films across a variety of genres, it was best known for martial arts films, including classics such as The One Armed Swordsman, The Five Fingers of Death, Come Drink With Me and Vengeance. That era is still considered a golden age of Hong Kong cinema. As the movie industry changed and the big movie studios lost their power and dominance, Sir Run Run Shaw shifted his company's focus to the television side of operations with TVB, the television studio he had established in 1967. Today TVB is one of the largest television producers in the world, and Shaw presides over a media empire valued at around US$3.5 billion.

Shaw is also famous for his philanthropy, bequeathing millions to hospitals, educational institutions and the arts, not just in Hong Kong but in greater China and beyond. In 2002 he established the Shaw Prize which awards one million dollars each for research in three science categories: astronomy, life sciences and mathematics.

In recent years Sir Run Run Shaw's health has deteriorated, reducing his role in the day-to-day running of the business. A large proportion of executive control is said to be in the hands of his wife, the 76 year old but still formidable Mona Fong, who holds the title of Managing Director. Nevertheless, Sir Run Run's appearance at last month's TVB Gala Awards where he was one of the presenters, followed by his announcement he was back in the movie-making business, shows he retains to a surprising degree his trademark energy and passion for hard work.

October Flavour of the Month: Jiang Wenli

Actress Jiang Wenli (蒋雯丽) may be considering a larger trophy cabinet after last month's triumph at two different film award ceremonies. At the prestigious Golden Rooster Awards she shared the Best Actress prize for her moving performance in And the Spring Comes (立春). The day before she won the Audience Award at the Pusan International Film Festival in Korea for her directorial debut, Lan (Chinese title 我们天上见 or We See the Sky).

And the Spring Comes was released back in 2007 - the Golden Roosters are held every second year so 2009 was the first year she was eligible. She had already been honoured for her performance at the Rome International Festival in 2007, where the film received its premiere. The film, directed by Jiang's husband Gu Changwei, takes place in a bleak northern industrial town. The role of a plain-looking woman possessed with a beautiful voice and grand dreams of an opera career required Jiang to put on 30 pounds, and make-up effects to make her face blotchy and teeth uneven.

Lan is a film that has been five years in the making. A labour of love for Jiang, she not only directed it but wrote the original screenplay, and the film has strong autobiographical elements. It's set during the 1960s and 70s, a period which many Chinese from Jiang's generation now view with a certain nostalgia despite the turmoil of the Cultural Revolution. It tells the story of the relationship between a young girl and her grandfather who has the responsibility of raising the girl when her parents are sent off to a collective farm.

Jiang Wenli was born in 1969 in a small town in Anhui province, and might have spent her life working in the local waterworks if she hadn't been accepted into the prestigious Beijing Film Academy. From the start she showed a talent for expressing genuine emotion and made a memorable early appearance in the classic Farewell My Concubine in 1992 (she played the prostitute forced to give up her child at the beginning of the film).

It wasn't until 1997 however that she became a household name, starring in the TV drama series Hand in Hand (牵手). At the time the series was the most popular ever shown on Chinese television and her performance won her China's Emmy - the Feitian TV award for Best Actress. It's for her TV roles that she's best-known in China. She played the Miranda character in China's version of Sex and the City, Longing for Tan Ailin (好想好想谈恋爱) in 2003. She then won multiple awards for her performance as a long-suffering wife in Golden Anniversary (金婚) - a series that showed through a couple's 50-year marriage the changing face of China itself.

Jiang has yet to feature in a blockbuster film that might win her the global popularity her acting probably deserves. And as she enters her forties the chances of her being cast in a James Bond film or martial arts epic are quickly diminishing. Hopefully her blossoming directing career can win her further plaudits and wider international recognition of her talents.