Hong Kong’s renowned martial arts choreographer and actor Yuen Cheung-yan, who portrayed countless iconic supporting roles on the big screen, sadly passed away due to illness on January 1st at the age of 69. Director Lee Lik-chi posted late on January 1st that he had learned the sad news from Yuen Cheung-yan’s widow, and revealed that Yuen Cheung-yan passed away peacefully on the afternoon of New Year's Day at Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
Yuen Cheung-yan was born into a family of martial artists; his father was the famous martial arts choreographer Yuen Siu-tien, and his elder brother is the internationally renowned “Number One Finger in the World” Yuen Woo-ping. He practiced martial arts from a young age and was one of the core members of the "Yuen Clan." He was active both in front of and behind the camera, serving as action choreographer and director for many films.
For many audiences, Yuen Cheung-yan’s most memorable role was the mysterious beggar in Stephen Chow’s (Stephen ‘Sing Yeh’) film "Kung Fu"—the one who held the "Buddha's Palm" manual and tricked Chow out of his savings. His line in the film, "I see you possess extraordinary bones and are a martial arts prodigy among millions," is still widely spread online today, becoming a classic meme for over 20 years.
During his lifetime, Yuen Cheung-yan was very active in the film industry, participating in the production of many classic Hong Kong films such as "Once Upon a Time in China" and "Tai Chi Master." He also once traveled to Hollywood with his brother Yuen Woo-ping, working as a martial arts choreographer on international films including "Daredevil" and "Charlie's Angels," leaving an important legacy in Chinese-language action cinema.
During his lifetime, Yuen Cheung-yan was very active in the film industry, participating in the production of many classic Hong Kong films such as "Once Upon a Time in China" and "Tai Chi Master." He also once traveled to Hollywood with his brother Yuen Woo-ping, working as a martial arts choreographer on international films including "Daredevil" and "Charlie's Angels," leaving an important legacy in Chinese-language action cinema.