Chiung Yao, born Chen Che, the beloved storyteller whose romantic tales enchanted generations of readers, has died at the age of 86. The author passed away by suicide at her residence in Taiwan’s Tamsui District on Dec. 4.
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Chiung Yao shared a heartfelt farewell message with her fans, translated in its entirety by What’s on Weibo.
“To all my dear friends: Do not cry, do not grieve, and do not feel sad for me,” she began. “I have already fluttered away effortlessly. I love the word ‘翩然’ [piānrán]. It represents flying in the air independently, easily, and freely.”
Her body was found after she asked her secretary to check on her home in Tamsui District around noon. When the secretary arrived, they immediately sensed something was wrong. Emergency services were summoned immediately, but responders found no signs of breathing or a heartbeat upon arrival, according to TVBS.
Chiung Yao left an indelible mark on Chinese entertainment. Per the Gospel Herald, she authored over 70 novels, with more than 55 adapted into films and 34 transformed into television series.
Her TV adaptations became so popular they created their own genre, known as “Qiong Yao Dramas.” One of her most famous works, My Fair Princess, broke records in mainland China with an incredible 62.8 percent viewership—around 300 million viewers per episode.
Chiung Yao Explains Her Choice to End Her Life
Meanwhile, on the day of her passing, she shared a Facebook post explaining her decision.
“Death is a journey everyone must take. I don’t want to leave it to fate or wither away slowly. I want to take control of this final chapter,” The New York Times translated.
“God has not designed the process of life particularly well,” she added. “When a person grows old, they have to go through a very painful period of ‘becoming weak, degeneration, illness, hospitalization, treatment, and fatal illness.’”
The author became a supporter of dignified death after her second husband, Ping Hsin-tao, had a stroke. Their relationship gained public attention when they married in 1979 after an eight-year divorce battle with his first wife.
Chiung Yao’s literary career took flight in 1963 with Outside the Window, a semi-autobiographical tale of a forbidden romance between a high school student and her Chinese literature teacher.
At the time of her passing, Chiung Yao’s net worth was estimated at an impressive 2.5 billion yuan, equivalent to approximately 350 million USD.