Friends and family yesterday bid farewell to entertainer Hsieh Hsin-ta (謝新達), better known as Chu Ko Liang (豬哥亮), who brought laughter to many with his coarse humor and slapstick.
About 2,000 fans, friends and entertainers, including Chang Fei (張菲) and actress Amber Kuo (郭采潔), paid tribute to the entertainer at his funeral — which cost an estimated NT$5 million (US$164,468) — in New Taipei City’s Banciao District (板橋) yesterday.
Hsieh, a presenter, singer and actor, died on May 15 of liver failure induced by cancer. He was 70.
Photo: Chung Chih-kai, Taipei Times
His eldest son, Hsieh Shun-fu (謝順福), said the funeral was meant to be a festive occasion, because his father “wanted everyone to be happy.”
A memorial video depicting the life of the entertainer was aired at the start of the service, which opened with his words prefacing his song A Performance (一場、一場表演).
The video showed family members, including his daughter Jeannie Hsieh (謝金燕), a popular pop singer, and the reconciliation between father and daughter at his hospital bed.
There was also a clip showing several of his children, including Jeannie Hsieh, attending Hsieh Hsin-ta’s wedding with his third wife, signaling that family members had put a longstanding feud behind them.
There were also blessings from many of his best friends, including celebrity couple Yu Tien (余天) and Lee Ya-ping (李亞萍), as well as movie director Chu Yen-ping (朱延平).
More than a dozen old songs favored by the entertainer, including By Tamsui Riverside (淡水河邊), were played by a band at the service, which featured white and gold colors.
Despite the celebratory mood, Hsieh Shun-fu was in tears when he expressed his appreciation to those in attendance and asked: “Daddy, are you happy to see all your friends here?”
Hsieh Shun-fu was born from Hsieh Hsin-ta ’s first marriage. He had two sons and three daughters from his three marriages, and another daughter out of wedlock.
Chu Ko Liang was a household name, but struggled throughout his life with a gambling addiction.
At one point he amassed gambling debts reported to be NT$1 billion that forced him into hiding for 15 years until 2010.
He was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2014, but rejected treatment so he could continue to make movies and work on other projects.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
UNKNOWN TRAJECTORY: The storm could move in four possible directions, with the fourth option considered the most threatening to Taiwan, meteorologist Lin De-en said A soon-to-be-formed tropical storm east of the Philippines could begin affecting Taiwan on Wednesday next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The storm, to be named Fung-wong (鳳凰), is forecast to approach Taiwan on Tuesday next week and could begin affecting the weather in Taiwan on Wednesday, CWA forecaster Huang En-hung (黃恩鴻) said, adding that its impact might be amplified by the combined effect with the northeast monsoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the system’s center was 2,800km southeast of Oluanbi (鵝鑾鼻). It was moving northwest at 18kph. Meteorologist Lin De-en (林得恩) on Facebook yesterday wrote that the would-be storm is surrounded by
RSS