Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu, renowned for her role in the hit TV series Meteor Garden, has sadly passed away due to pneumonia, according to local media reports. She was 48 years old.
Hsu was a prominent figure in the Mandarin-speaking entertainment industry, and her performance in Meteor Garden catapulted her to stardom across countries such as the Philippines, Indonesia, and Thailand, where the show was dubbed into local languages.
The news of her passing sparked a wave of sorrow on social media, with fans expressing their disbelief and honoring Hsu for her significant impact on pop culture.
Her sister, Dee Hsu, confirmed the tragic news to Taiwan’s TVBS News on Monday, following swirling rumors the day prior. Barbie reportedly fell ill while vacationing in Japan.
“During the Lunar New Year, our family traveled to Japan for a holiday. My beloved sister Barbie has sadly departed after contracting pneumonia, which was triggered by influenza,” Dee shared in a statement released by her manager.
Hsu began her entertainment career at the age of 17 as part of a pop duo with her sister Dee. They later transitioned into television hosting, gaining popularity for their lively personalities and humor.
However, it was Meteor Garden, based on a 1990s Japanese manga, that truly launched Hsu’s career beyond Mandarin-speaking audiences.
In the series, she portrayed Shancai, a girl from a modest background who enrolls in an elite private school and becomes embroiled in a romantic entanglement with the heirs of affluent families.
Her four male co-stars from Meteor Garden would eventually form the Taiwanese boyband F4, which became one of the most beloved Mandopop groups of the 2000s.
On Monday, F4 member Ken Chu shared a somber black image on Instagram, along with a group photo featuring Hsu.
“What a shock,” he expressed on Weibo.
Meteor Garden captured the hearts of Asian viewers long before the era of video streaming. In the Philippines, a local network reportedly aired the entire series eight times to meet the overwhelming demand from fans, and bootleg copies of the show were commonly sold at roadside stalls.
