‘Meteor Garden’ Star Barbie Hsu, 48, Dies of Pneumonia

Barbie Hsu, a Taiwanese actress known for the role of San Chai, a character from”Meteor Garden,” passed away on Sunday, Feb. 2. According to reports, the actress contracted influenza during the Lunar New Year holiday. She was 48. 

The sad news was confirmed by her sister, Dee Hsu.

“Our whole family came to Japan for a trip, and my dearest and most kindhearted sister Barbie Hsu died of influenza-induced pneumonia and unfortunately left us,” Hsu’s sister and talk show hostess Dee Hsu said through her agent.

“I was grateful to be her sister in this life and that we got to care for and spend time with each other. I will always be grateful to her and miss her!” she added.

According to CNA, Hsu is survived by her South Korean husband, singer and DJ Koo Jun-yup along with her two children—a 10-year-old daughter and an 8-year-old son—whom both she shares with her ex-husband, Chinese businessman Wang Xiaofei.

Barbie Hsu’s Career Timeline

Filipinos love Barbie Hsu because of her role as San Chai in the hit TV series “Meteor Garden.” But before this TV series, the actress started her career as a singer. In 1994, she and her sister Dee debuted as a pop duo, S.O.S. Later, the duo became a mandopop band, ASOS. The band’s first album is Zhanling Nianqing, and their last album is Biantai Shaonu.

Hsu became a host. With her sister, they hosted the TV variety show, “Guess;” She also hosted the Taiwanese entertainment news and variety show “100% Entertainment,” and “Gourmet Secrets of the Stars.”

In 2001, she was cast in the Taiwanese drama series “Meteor Garden” alongside the “F4” Jerry Yan as Daoming Si, Vic Chou as Huaze Lei, Vanness Wu as Meizuo, and Ken Chu as Ximen. In the series, Hsu’s character, San Chai, is a poor girl but not a typical one looking for a prince charming to save her from poverty. With the girl power vibe, she captured Daoming Su’s attention and love despite bullying her.

Because of her effective portrayal of San Chai, Hsu was nominated for the 36th Golden Bell Award for Best Leading Actress in a TV Series.