Taiwan star Barbie Hsu dies at 48

Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu, who was best-known for starring in the hit 2001 TV series Meteor Garden, has died from pneumonia at the age of 48, according to local media.

One of the biggest stars in the Mandarin-speaking world, Hsu became a familiar face even in the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand after Meteor Garden was dubbed in local languages.

"I can't believe it," read one comment on Chinese social media platform Weibo, echoing the sentiments of millions of shocked fans who have been paying tribute.

She is believed to have fallen ill while visiting Japan. Her sister, Dee Hsu, confirmed her death to Taiwan's TVBS News on Monday.

"During the Lunar New Year, our family came to Japan for vacation. My dearest sister Barbie has unfortunately left us after getting pneumonia, triggered by influenza," Dee Hsusaid in a statement shared by her manager.

Hsu, who had a history of epilepsy and heart disease, was hospitalised previously due to seizures.

She leaves behind her husband, South Korean singer DJ Koo, and two children from an earlier marriage.

She and her ex-husband, Chinese businessman Wang Xiaofei, were married for 10 years, before an acrimonious divorce in 2021.

Hsu began her career at 17, as part of a pop duo with her sister Dee. They became famous as TV hosts, known for their animated style and sense of humour.

But it was Meteor Garden, a TV adaptation of a 1990s Japanese comic of the same name, that turned Hsu into a star whose fame stretched beyond Chinese entertainment.

In the drama, Hsu played Shancai, a teen from a middle-class family who attends an elite private school and finds herself entangled in a love web with the heirs of wealthy families.

Her four male co-stars in Meteor Garden would later form the Taiwanese boyband F4, one of the most popular Mandopop groups of the 2000s.

On Monday, F4 member Ken Chu shared a black, empty screen as well as a group photo with Hsu on Instagram. Then on Weibo, he wrote: "What a bolt from the blue."

Aya Liu, a host and long-time friend of the Hsu sisters, wrote on Weibo that she had met Hsu at a gathering last month, where they had promised to meet more often.

"I didn't think that would be our last gathering," Liu wrote. "Rest in peace, the most beautiful queen."

Hsu was the top trending topic on Weibo on Monday. "She was only 48 years old… this is too sudden. This is a little difficult to accept," read one comment.

Posts about influenza in Japan were also trending as fans tried to understand how she had fallen sick.

Meteor Garden captivated Asian audiences in the 2000s. In the Philippines alone, a local broadcaster reportedly aired the entire series eight times to satisfy fan demand. Bootleg copies of the series were also sold at roadside stalls.

Meteor Garden's theme songs were released in other languages, quickly becoming hits on the radio and on TV.

More than 20 years on, th show's popularity has endured even as remakes attracted new fans. It has inspired versions in Japan, South Korea, China and India.

On social media, tributes to Hsu have poured in from across the region, from Chinese users on Weibo, to Southeast Asian fans on X, to Meta's Threads, which is particularly popular in Taiwan.

"Big S has always been a part of my youth," wrote one fan on Threads, referring to Hsu by her nickname.

An X user wrote: "Meteor Garden raised an entire generation of Asians. Thank you Barbie Hsu for giving life to Shancai."