Family members, entertainers and politicians across party lines yesterday bid a final farewell to Taiwanese singer-songwriter Hung Yi-feng (洪一峰), who died of pancreatic cancer in Taipei late last month at the age of 82.
Dubbed “the king of Formosan song,” Hung sprang into fame when a song he wrote, Butterfly Infatuated with Flower (蝶戀花), made its debut in 1946. Other well-known tunes such as Memories of an Old Love (舊情綿綿) and The One I’m Missing (思慕的人) remain very popular among KTV patrons.
Hung formed a singing and dancing troupe in 1957 and began a national tour that received much acclaim until the then-Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government began banning Taiwanese songs in 1959.
Hung moved to Japan to continue his music career. In 1962, Hung played the leading role in a musical that took its name from his song Memories of an Old Love. Its overwhelming success landed him another leading role in the movie When Will We Meet Again (何日再相逢) the following year and many more over the next five years.
His eldest son, Chris Hung (洪榮宏), was sent to Japan to study music when he was 10 years old. He later said that the Spartan-style training his father gave him from an early age dealt a significant blow to his self-esteem and to their relationship.
Chris Hung later developed a drinking problem and the tension between father and son escalated. It was not until Chris Hung converted to Christianity and introduced his father to the religion in 1991 that they found peace again.
Delivering the eulogy yesterday, Chris Hung, 47, thanked his father for teaching him to be a skilled singer and a better man.
“He was my best teacher and best friend,” he said at the memorial service held at the Bread of Life Christian Church in Shihlin (士林).
Hung Yi-feng was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer and hospitalized in December. He fell into a coma following a bout of pneumonia and was transferred to a hospice ward last month.
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), who delivered his speech in Hoklo (commonly known as Taiwanese), lamented the loss of Hung Yi-feng, calling him a well-rounded entertainer and national treasure.
“On behalf of the Republic of China government, I want to thank him for his contribution to bringing joy and solace to every family over the past 50 years,” he said. “I believe he will continue from above to protect this land and its people.”
Ma also presented Hung Yi-feng’s family with a certificate honoring his contribution to Taiwanese culture.
Chiu Kun-liang (邱坤良), a professor at National Taipei University of the Arts who grew up listening to Hung’s songs, had previously said that Hung Yi-feng “was unfortunate to have been born in Taiwan ... If he had lived in another country, he would have long been recognized as a national treasure.”
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY CNA
An undersea cable to Penghu County has been severed, the Ministry of Digital Affairs said today, with a Chinese-funded ship suspected of being responsible. It comes just a month after a Chinese ship was suspected of severing an undersea cable north of Keelung Harbor. The National Communications and Cyber Security Center received a report at 3:03am today from Chunghwa Telecom that the No. 3 cable from Taiwan to Penghu was severed 14.7km off the coast of Tainan, the Ministry of Digital Affairs said. The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) upon receiving a report from Chunghwa Telecom began to monitor the Togolese-flagged Hong Tai (宏泰)
EVA Air is prohibiting the use of portable chargers on board all flights starting from Saturday, while China Airlines is advising passengers not to use them, following the lead of South Korean airlines. Current regulations prohibit portable chargers and lithium batteries from check-in luggage and require them to be properly packed in carry-on baggage, EVA Air said. To improve onboard safety, portable chargers and spare lithium batteries would be prohibited from use on all fights starting on Saturday, it said. Passengers are advised to fully charge electronic devices before boarding and use the AC and USB charging outlets at their seat, it said. South
Hong Kong-based American singer-songwriter Khalil Fong (方大同) has passed away at the age of 41, Fong’s record label confirmed yesterday. “With unwavering optimism in the face of a relentless illness for five years, Khalil Fong gently and gracefully bid farewell to this world on the morning of February 21, 2025, stepping into the next realm of existence to carry forward his purpose and dreams,” Fu Music wrote on the company’s official Facebook page. “The music and graphic novels he gifted to the world remain an eternal testament to his luminous spirit, a timeless treasure for generations to come,” it said. Although Fong’s
WAR SIMULATION: The developers of the board game ‘2045’ consulted experts and analysts, and made maps based on real-life Chinese People’s Liberation Army exercises To stop invading Chinese forces seizing Taiwan, board gamer Ruth Zhong chooses the nuclear option: Dropping an atomic bomb on Taipei to secure the nation’s freedom and her victory. The Taiwanese board game 2045 is a zero-sum contest of military strategy and individual self-interest that puts players on the front lines of a simulated Chinese attack. Their battlefield game tactics would determine the theoretical future of Taiwan, which in the real world faces the constant threat of a Chinese invasion. “The most interesting part of this game is that you have to make continuous decisions based on the evolving situation,
RSS