Hong Kong crowds 20 years since Leslie Cheung’s death

Fans of the late Canto-pop icon Leslie Cheung commemorated the 20th anniversary of his death in Hong Kong. Cheung was a groundbreaking figure who became one of the first singers to come out as gay in Hong Kong during a socially conservative time. His supporters, who span across Asia, fondly remembered his norm-breaking works and referred to him as being “ahead of time.” Even the government included concerts and film screenings about him in the city’s first pop culture festival. The event is slated to officially kick off in three weeks.

The local reminiscences of Cheung prove the late celebrity remains a popular icon across generations of Hong Kongers as the city desires to revive its cultural influence. Professor of the school of journalism and communication at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Anthony Fung, said “after so many years, we hardly find any new icons, new superstars who could reach that level of importance.” Cheung produced many hits that even non-Cantonese speaking music lovers in other parts of Asia could sing along to.

Cheung suffered from depression, and he jumped to his death from the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in central Hong Kong. His death came as his hometown was battling the SARS epidemic, which ultimately killed hundreds and crippled the local economy. Chris Choi, Cheung’s concert choreographer in the 2000s, said the late superstar broke through many gender boundaries by introducing “unisex” ideas, some of which were risky at the time.

Cheung also broke through the city’s cultural status quo by boldly revealing his gay relationship in a conservative local society at that time. His breakthroughs were about showing the plurality of culture that he celebrated. University student Justin Jiang said he was only three years old when Cheung died, but he later became a fan in high school after learning more about Cheung’s personality and charisma from his legacy of works. This week, the 22-year-old, who lives in neighboring Guangzhou, visited Hong Kong with a friend to pay tribute to his idol.



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