Sammo Hung, Eric Tsang, Chin Ka Lok and other Hong Kong stars pay respects at martial arts actor Mang Hoi's wake

Martial arts actor Mang Hoi's wake was held on Saturday (Oct 28).

The Hong Kong star, best remembered for his role as the sidekick in the 1990s series Vampire Expert, was diagnosed with stage four esophageal cancer last year. He died on Oct 9 at the age of 65 and is survived by his wife and their daughter, who is 17 years old.

Mang Hoi's funeral was held at the Po Fook Hill Memorial Hall in Tai Wai Village and conducted with Buddhist rituals. He was then cremated at Fu Shan Crematorium.

According to a report by Hong Kong publication HK01 on Sunday, many Hong Kong actors attended the wake to pay tribute to Mang Hoi, including Sammo Hung, Eric Tsang, Chin Ka Lok, Mat Yeung and Law Kar Ying.

When asked by reporters whether Mang Hoi had any unfulfilled wishes, Ka Lok, 58, said: "I knew he wanted to make an action movie that represented him."

He also shared that even while Mang Hoi was ill, he was still very happy and energetic whenever the latter talked about films.

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Ka Lok added: "He was so brave and didn't give up. He was so strong all the way. We all really wanted him to defeat this disease… but this is life and not everything can be controlled by us. In the end, we would accompany him on the last journey."

Mat, 42, teared up as he recounted Mang Hoi as a very good senior who often encouraged and taught him filming and martial art techniques.

He shared that they last met in September and Mang Hoi had looked very energetic then, adding that although the latter had lost weight, he still loved to joke and looked optimistic and happy.

"I regret I didn't visit him more often," he said.

In a separate interview, Mang Hoi's niece Ball Mang thanked Eric and Ka Lok for their constant companionship and assistance to her uncle when he was ill.

"They took the initiative to recruit doctors and medical experts to discuss medical plans. After my uncle died, they also provided money and help, which helped to reduce the pressure on our family," she said.

Many actors and veterans in the entertainment industry also sent flower wreaths, including actors-martial artists Jackie Chan, Sammo, Yuen Biao and Ken Lo, film director Andrew Lau and actor-film producer John Shum.

Mang Hoi debuted in the movie The Vagabond Swordsman in 1968 when he was 10. He won Best Supporting Actor at the 5th Hong Kong Film Awards for the movie Yes, Madam and was nominated seven times over the years for Best Action Director at the same film awards.

He was best known for his performances as the clumsy assistant to actor-martial arts director Lam Ching Ying's Taoist priest in the Vampire Expert drama series and worked together with Sammo and Jackie many times over the course of his career.

According to a report by Lianhe Zaobao on Oct 10, Mang Hoi was also Bruce Lee's assistant on set and worked with Bruce's son Brandon in the movie Legacy of Rage, which was released in 1986.

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yeo.shuhui@asiaone.com