PUBLISHED ONAugust 22, 2022 12:37 PMByDrima ChakrabortyTaiwanese singer Yu Yuan-chi's memorial service began today (Aug 22).
The daughter of veteran singers Yu Tian and Li Ya-ping, Yuan-chi was diagnosed with colorectal cancer eight years ago and her condition worsened last week. She died yesterday afternoon aged 39.
Speaking to Taiwanese media today, her aunt — former actress Chi Bo-ru who married and later divorced Yu Tian's late younger brother Yu Long — revealed part of the content of Yuan-chi's final video to her family.
Bo-ru, 60, revealed that Yuan-chi was devoted to her two young children and parents in the final part of her life.
"I'm going to heaven but I'm also unfilial," Yuan-chi said in the video message according to her aunt. "I regret not being able to watch my children grow up and I will watch over Mum from heaven."
Bo-ru said that Yuan-chi had asked her nurse to help her record a video while she was still conscious, to help her elderly parents bear with her death.
Yuan-chi's younger brother Ken, 37, had visited his sister in the hospital but she was unable to tell him her last wishes in person. He told reporters today: "She touched my hand and looked at me. She said she had a wish but she couldn't say it."
He doesn't want Yuan-chi's final video to be published as her condition was "not very good" in it.
Yu-Tian, 74, held back his grief when reporters asked about Yuan-chi's final message.
"Let's not talk about it now, thank you," he said before joining his palms to thank the reporters and entering the funeral hall.
Yuan-chi's memorial service began at noon today. Her daughter, four-year-old Lele, arrived with Yuan-chi's older sister Sabrina at 2pm, while her grieving husband Gary Chen arrived later.
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Speaking on how the young girl was coping, Ken said: "She's smart and knows [that her mum has died]. She usually watches YouTube or broadcasts, but yesterday she wanted to check on the news of her mother's death and I asked her not to."
With Yu Tian being a legislator and member of the Democratic Progressive Party in Taiwan, legislative president You Si-kun also paid his respects. Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen will pay her condolences tomorrow.
The funeral hall is decorated with white flowers and Yuan-chi's memorial portrait is a dynamic photo from her youth.
Speaking to reporters, Yu Tian mentioned that he chose the photo, taken during a family photoshoot when Yuan-chi was 22, to preserve the memory of his daughter ready to make her showbiz debut.
"At that time, she was very happy and wanted to debut and the photo looked very lively, so I chose it," he said.
ALSO READ: 'She begged me to let her go': Yu Tian devastated daughter, 38, wants to give up battle with cancer
drimac@asiaone.com
