Late HK Actor Kenneth Tsang Met Up With Ex Mediacorp Host Wang Yanqing At Her Mandarin Gallery Restaurant When He Was In Singapore Last Week
Yanqing said the actor, who died yesterday (Apr 27), had an appreciation for food and would have loved to travel the world in search of good food now that borders are opening up.
Ilsa Chan
28 Apr 2022 at 12:45
Bookmark
Share on FacebookShare on WhatsAppShare on TwitterShare on WeChat
kenneth tsangWang Yanqing
The Internet paid tribute to veteran Hongkong actor Kenneth Tsang after the shocking news of his death yesterday (Apr 27).
The star was found dead in his quarantine hotel room in Tsim Sha Tsui at around midday and the cause of death is still unknown. He was 86.
Hongkong star Louis Koo told Hongkong media that he was still trying to process the news of his death, while veteran actor Wu Fung, who had known Kenneth for more than six decades, said that he could not believe his “good brother” is gone.
Former newscaster Wang Yanqing met up with Kenneth when he was in Singapore recently
Here in Singapore, former Mediacorp newscaster Wang Yanqing, shared the same sentiments.
In an interview with Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao, Yanqing revealed that she had just met up with Kenneth at her Mandarin Gallery restaurant, Yan's Dining Fine Shanghai Cuisine restaurant, when he was in Singapore last week.
They caught up over dinner last Thursday (Apr 21) and were joined by some of her former colleagues as well as Kenneth’s friends from Hongkong.
Yanqing said she prepared a table full of dishes for him as well as red wine.
Are high costs stopping your company from digitalisating your operations?
SPONSORED BY SKILLSFUTURE SINGAPORE
Learn More
"He was using crutches as he was suffering from gout but other than that, he looked to be in good spirits and good health,” she noted.
"Kenneth loves food. I can imagine that now that the borders are opening up, he would want to go out and embrace the world. He is like a 17-year-old boy travelling the world in search of good food," she said, adding that he shared plans to have fish head curry and other local delicacies when he was in town.
Kenneth and his wife, Taiwanese actress Chiao Chiao
Yanqing revealed that when she first moved to Singapore in 1994, she got to know Kenneth through his wife, Taiwanese actress Chiao Chiao, with whom she co-hosted the lifestyle show Afternoon Leisure Hour.
"Both Kenneth and I speak Shanghainese. The couple took good care of me and I would often go to their house,” she recalled.
Due to the pandemic, Kenneth was not able to travel for a long time, so when the situation improved, he flew to Singapore alone to meet up with his old pals.
Developing female talent
SPONSORED BY TRIP.COM TRAVEL SINGAPORE
Learn More
According to Yanqing, Kenneth's grandfather was among the first batch of students in China to be sent abroad for further studies, and Kenneth’s father was a diplomat.
"Kenneth came from a very good background and had an appreciation for art. He's charming, multi-talented, passionate, and was quite a personality,” she said.
As she happened to have some calligraphy pieces from a previous event, they chatted about calligraphy works during their recent get together.
"He reminded me of my father, smart and forthright,” she said.
He was a trained architect
Like his father and grandfather, Kenneth was well-educated too. He studied architecture in the United States in the 1950s and was fluent in English.
Learning to mitigate risks
SPONSORED BY KAPLAN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTE
Learn More
He went into acting in the 1950s as he felt that there was no future for architecture in Hongkong.
In his six decades in showbiz, he has appeared in more than 100 TV series and movies, including Hollywood productions like The Replacement Killers and Rush Hour 2.
After tying the knot with Chiao Chiao in 1994, he decided to develop his career in Singapore where he starred in several Mandarin dramas including 1995’s The Teochew Family (1995) and 1996’s The Unbeatables II (1996).
Kenneth has two children, a son and a daughter from his first and second marriages respectively.
