The mayor of Vancouver is planning to designate a special day in honour of Hong Kong entertainer Lydia Sum Tin-ha (also known as Lydia Shum), whose body has arrived in the Canadian city for her funeral tomorrow.
Friends and fans in Vancouver are paying tribute to the late comedienne, better known as 'Fei Fei', throughout the week.
However, there appear to be no plans to honour Sum in Hong Kong, with a spokesman for the protocol division of the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau saying that 'under the existing guidelines only medals for bravery are given out posthumously'.
Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan was to proclaim a day to recognise Sum's life and achievements during a city council meeting yesterday, city spokesman David Hurford said.
He noted that the mayor was also expecting to receive members of the entertainer's family at city hall.
'I was honoured to have met Lydia on numerous occasions,' Mr Sullivan said in a statement. 'Her generosity and commitment to supporting community causes has set an example for all of us. More than the dark-rimmed glasses and trendy hairstyles, we will remember and celebrate her warm heart and wonderfully good humour.'
Sum, 62, who was diagnosed with liver cancer two years ago, died last Tuesday at Queen Mary Hospital. Her body was flown to Canada, where her funeral is scheduled to take place at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the city of Burnaby, on the outskirts of Vancouver.