Two enormously popular veterans of the entertainment industry were among those honoured at the 27th Hong Kong Film Awards last night.
A bitter-sweet note was sounded when the late Lydia Sum Tin-ha (also known as Lydia Shum) was honoured with the professional achievement award. And thunderous applause echoed around the Cultural Centre when legendary filmmaker Raymond Chow Man-wai received the lifetime achievement award.
Earlier, hundreds of excited fans swamped the centre's piazza to see the stars make their red-carpet arrivals at the city's Oscars amid a blizzard of camera flashes. Catching attention was Charlene Choi Cheuk-yin of pop duo Twins, nominated for best actress for Simply Actors. However, the other half of the duo, Gillian Chung Yan-Tung, who was caught up in the recent celebrity sex-photos scandal, was nowhere to be seen.
Collecting Sum's award, an emotional Joyce Cheng Yan-yee, Sum's only child, said: 'I believe [my mother] would be as happy as I am. My mother loved her profession. She would do her best for every job she took. Whatever the situation, she would present her best to the audience. She set a good example for me.'
Shanghai-born Sum, who died of cancer in February, aged 62, and was affectionately known as Fei Fei, or Fat Fat, was recognised for her 'professionalism and impressive contributions to the world of entertainment'.
She entered the entertainment world at the age of 13 and starred in more than 100 films, mostly comedies. She moved into television and became a household name.
Presenting the lifetime achievement award to Chow, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Frederick Ma Si-hang praised him for his contribution to the film industry - and for spotting Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee.