Taiwanese star Barbie Hsu of Meteor Garden fame dies

Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu, who shot to fame for starring in the TV series Meteor Garden, has died from pneumonia, local media report. She was 48.

Hsu is one of the biggest names in the Mandarin-speaking world and Meteor Garden made her a big star in countries like the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand after it was dubbed in local languages.

News of her death triggered an outpouring of grief on social media where fans expressed their shock and paid tribute to Hsu for her influence on pop culture.

Her sister, Dee Hsu, confirmed her death to Taiwan’s TVBS News on Monday, after rumours of her death swirled the day before. She reportedly fell ill while on vacation in Japan.

“During the Lunar New Year, our family came to Japan for vacation. My dearest sister Barbie has unfortunately left us after getting pneumonia, triggered by an influenza,” Dee said in a statement shared by her manager.

Hsu started in show business at 17 as part of a pop duo with her sister Dee. They went on to become TV hosts, known for their animated style and sense of humour.

But it was Meteor Garden, a TV adaptation of a 1990s Japanese comic book of the same name, that helped Hsu become a star outside the Mandarin-speaking world.

Hsu played Shancai, a poor student from a middle class family who attends an elite private school and finds herself entangled in a love web with the heirs of wealthy families.

Her four male co-stars in Meteor Garden would later form the Taiwanese boyband F4, which became one of the most popular Mandopop groups of the 2000s.

On Monday, F4 member Ken Chu posted a blank black image on Instagram, as well as a group photo with Hsu.

“What a bolt from the blue,” he wrote on Weibo.

Meteor Garden captivated Asian audiences before video streaming. In the Philippines alone, a local broadcaster reportedly aired the entire series eight times to satisfy fan demand. Bootleg CD copies of the series were also sold on roadside stalls.

Aside from the series itself, Meteor Garden’s theme songs were also translated to local languages and became hits on radio and music video channels.

Two decades since its debut, Meteor Garden’s popularity has endured and remakes through the years have attracted new fans. Versions of the series have also been produced in Japan, South Korea, mainland China, and India.

Hsu was the top trending topic on Chinese social media platform Weibo on Monday morning. Posts about influenza in Japan were also trending.

“I can’t believe it,” read one comment – echoing hundreds of similar sentiments.

“She is only 48 years old… this is too sudden,” read another Weibo comment. “This is a little difficult to accept.”

Hsu has a history of epilepsy and heart disease and had been hospitalised on previous occasions due to seizures.

She leaves behind two children with her ex-husband, Chinese businessman Wang Xiaofei, with whom she had an acrimonious split in 2021, after 10 years together.

She married her current husband, South Korean musician DJ Koo, in 2022. They previously dated in the 1990s.