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Lo Hoi-ying

Hundreds of fans of the late actor and singer Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing have gathered at the hotel in Hong Kong where the Cantopop star fell to his death 22 years ago to commemorate his passing.
By Tuesday afternoon, the pavement outside the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Central was lined with flower stands and bouquets of chrysanthemums, lilies and roses. In the evening, the number of fans who came to pay tribute formed a line that snaked around the block.
Fans from Shenzhen, Shanghai and Henan province in mainland China, as well as elsewhere in the region, including South Korea and Singapore, sent flower stands to commemorate the late singer.
A steady flow of people, including families with young children, elderly in wheelchairs and teary-eyed fans, visited the pavement outside the hotel to place flowers and pay tribute.
Cao Duoer, a 20-year-old from Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, travelled to Hong Kong for three days just to pay tribute.
She was visibly shaken when looking at the flower stands and dabbed her eyes while speaking about her admiration for Cheung.
The university student was exposed to his work through her father and said she picked up basic Cantonese because of him.
“What I love the most about him is that he was genuine and humble,” she said.
“Although I never had the chance to see him in person, I can see his legacy in the way he takes care of his juniors and his values influence me greatly.”

Cao said she was heartened to have the chance to commemorate Cheung in Hong Kong with fellow fans, as few of her peers shared her love of the singer who died before most of them were born.
“It is testament to his character that people are still commemorating his death 22 years on,” she said.
The 46-year-old singer, who struggled with depression, jumped to his death from the 24th floor of the hotel on April 1 in 2003, sending shock waves across the city.
Sue Kwok, 65, said she could not believe her eyes when she first saw the news on television.
“I thought it was a joke, I was very shocked,” she recalled.
She said that she was touched by the number of fans who flocked to the hotel to pay tribute, noting more young people had turned up in recent years.
“Even though it’s been 22 years, many Hongkongers still remember him. It’s very heartening,” she said.

For Hayden Huang, a university student in Guangzhou, it was his second year volunteering at the commemoration.
He first visited the hotel on Cheung’s death anniversary in 2023 and decided to join the mainland fan club that organises commemorative events for the singer.
The 23-year-old said Cheung was a favourite on his playlist, and he loved the actor’s performances in Days of Being Wild and Farewell My Concubine.
He noted a phenomenon he called the “post-Leslie-era” fans, where young people born after Cheung’s time came to appreciate the singer in recent years.
“Even those who don’t understand Cantonese will get to know the language and Hong Kong culture through Leslie, and we appreciate the values he embodies,” he said.
“The most touching part for me is to see people from around the world, including Japan and South Korea, coming specially to pay tribute to him.”
Across the harbour in Tsim Sha Tsui, dozens of fans placed flowers near the actor’s handprints at the Avenue of Stars.
An elderly man played Cheung’s songs and sang along, inviting others in the crowd to join.

Student Lily Chan, 21, said she started listening to Cheung’s songs four years ago. She and her friend Gigi Tsui visited the Mandarin Oriental and his handprints.
“Initially I listened to one or two of his more famous songs and became captivated by his music so I started to look up his discography,” Chan added, while Tsui, who works as a performer, said she would belt out dance tune “Monica” at her shows.
Student Matthew Chair said listening to Cheung’s songs allowed him to bond with his parents and older family members.
“We would discuss his performances and sing his songs at karaoke,” he said.
Affectionately known as Gor Gor – “big brother” in Cantonese – the tailor’s son became a star during Cantopop’s golden era in the 1980s and 1990s.
Cheung’s career began in 1977, when he was the first runner-up in the Asian Music Contest that year with his rendition of Don McLean’s ‘American Pie’. He released more than 40 albums and appeared in 56 films.
His breakthrough film role was in the 1986 hit A Better Tomorrow, and he went on to star in many more movies through the 1990s, including the award-winning Farewell My Concubine, Days of Being Wild, Ashes of Time and Happy Together.
If you have suicidal thoughts or know someone who is experiencing them, help is available. In Hong Kong, you can dial 18111 for the government-run Mental Health Support Hotline.
You can also call +852 2896 0000 for The Samaritans or +852 2382 0000 for Suicide Prevention Services. In the US, call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. For a list of other nations’ helplines, see this page.


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Hong Kong culture

Hundreds gather in Hong Kong to pay tribute to film, Cantopop legend Leslie Cheung

Fans of late superstar Leslie Cheung pay tribute to the actor and singer. Photo: Elson Li

Cao Duoer, 20, travelled from Guangxi to commemorate Leslie Cheung. Photo: Lo Hoi-ying

Affectionately known as Gor Gor, or “big brother” in Cantonese, the tailor’s son became a star during Cantopop’s golden era in the 1980s and 1990s. Photo: Elson Li

Tributes to the late singer have been placed near an imprint of his hands at the Avenue of Stars in Tsim Sha Tsui. Photo: Jelly Tse

Pop star Leslie Cheung dies in fall from Hong Kong hotel in 2003 – from the SCMP archive

Hong Kong actor and singer Leslie Cheung died after a fall in 2003. Photo: Michael Tsui

Flowers and notes left by fans outside the Mandarin Oriental hotel for Leslie Cheung on April 2, 2003. Photo: Robert Ng

Cheung in April 1988. Photo: Chu Ming-hoi

Clipping from SCMP’s April 2, 2003 issue. Photo: SCMP

Leslie Cheung and Tony Leung Chiu-wai in the film Happy Together. Photo: Jet Tone Production

Fans of Leslie Cheung wave to the hearse after his funeral service outside Hong Kong Funeral Home, North Point, on April 8, 2003. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

Fans lay flowers and photos of late Cantopop star Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing in Tsim Sha Tsui on March 31, 2025. Photo: Jelly Tse

Remembering Leslie Cheung: how Hong Kong musical Café I Do pays tribute to a true Cantopop legend

Café I Do – The Leslie Cheung Musical was inspired by the late singer’s enduring legacy. Photo: MQ Musical Theatre

The musical’s cast is led by Mischa Ip. Photo: SCMP Archive

Kimman Wong is another lead in the Leslie Cheung musical. Photo: SCMP Archive

Leslie Cheung in concert at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, in 2000. Photo: SCMP Archive

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Flower stands and bouquets line pavement outside Mandarin Oriental hotel, where pop star died 22 years ago, while fans also gather at Avenue of Stars


Flower stands and bouquets line pavement outside Mandarin Oriental hotel, where pop star died 22 years ago, while fans also gather at Avenue of Stars.
