Taiwanese pop icon Liu Wen Zheng (劉文正), who captivated the Mandarin-speaking world in the 1970s and 1980s, died in the US of a heart attack in November last year, his agent Hsia Yu-shun (夏玉順) confirmed to local Chinese-language media yesterday.
“A star has fallen and its legend will live on forever,” Hsia was quoted as saying.
Some local reports said that Liu died on the eve of his birthday, making him 69 at the time of his death.
Photo: CNA
Liu, who was born in Taipei on Nov. 12, 1952, rose to fame in 1975 with the release of his first album The Promise (諾言) and a starring role in the romantic film The Story of Four Girls (門裡門外), released nationally and in Hong Kong.
That same year, Liu took over the variety show Jin Xiu Nian Hua (錦繡年華) on Taiwan Television, launching a career as a leading entertainer in the age of state-run cable channels.
After that, Liu became the host of Liu Wen Zheng Shi Jian (劉文正時間), named after and tailored for him on China Television, which at its height reached a rating share of 82 percent, the highest for a Taiwanese show at that time.
Photo: CAN
In 1981, he performed and produced Fei Ying (飛鷹), which was the first Chinese-language music video and a commercial success.
Throughout his career, Liu acted in more than 20 romance films, and won Golden Bell awards for best leading actor in a singing role in 1980, 1982 and 1983. He also received awards for best Mandarin performance in Singapore and Malaysia.
Liu ended his contract with Hong Kong’s PolyGram Records and moved to the US in 1984, marking his retirement from singing.
He returned to Taiwan two years later and established Fei Ying Records, which represented some of the biggest talents in the nation’s music industry including Fang Wen-lin (方文琳), Annie Yi (伊能靜) and Donna Chiu (裘海正).
In 1991, Liu closed the label and returned to the US, refusing interviews, public appearances and a rumored movie deal worth close to NT$100 million (US$3.3 million).
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
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
Taiwan sweltered through its hottest October on record, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, the latest in a string of global temperature records. The main island endured its highest average temperature since 1950, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng said. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as human-induced climate change contributes to ever more erratic weather patterns. Taiwan’s average temperature was 27.381°C as of Thursday, Liu said. Liu said the average could slip 0.1°C by the end of yesterday, but it would still be higher than the previous record of 27.009°C in 2016. "The temperature only started lowering around Oct. 18 or 19
RSS