By CC Pung J.P
She died in an apparent suicide in her home in Tamsui, New Taipei City.
Her works of over 60 books and numerous screenplays influenced generations of Chinese readers worldwide.
Her death, by suicide (burned charcoal was found in her Taipei condo), her suicide note and a video made just weeks earlier hinting at the inevitability and her thoughts on life may continue to stir thoughts and debates about life, love and death.
Chiong Yao is survived by her son, in his 60s and three other children of her late husband, who dies several years ago at age 92 after living on life support for three years.
Chiong made no mention of her husband in her suicide note.
But her time caring for her bedridden husband had apparently a life changing impact on Chiong on the paradox of life and the helplessness of a person towards the end.
She advocated mercy death and this left her estranged from her three step children.
She was reported to have attempted to migrate to Switzerland where it is an option.
For her age Chiong was said to be in relatively good heath.
She had though steadfastly refused any medical intervention, especially any suggestion of surgery.
She talked about her life (born 1938 in Chengdo she fled the devastation of to Taiwan with her family while still a child) as a fighter and swore against the likelihood of her being bedridden, wither and fade away.
She told her family, friends and fans not to mourn her passing, as she had barely just flitted away like a falling snowflake.
She chose her own terms.
But Chiong cautioned that she was not advocating suicide.
In fact her suicide note addressed the younger people to live a full life no matter the challenges and hard aches.
Queen of romance novels.
In my teen years, I was exposed to Chiong’s works and movies based on her romantic novels.
Stars, men and women rose to fame acting in her. Love stories that easily rivalled those Mills & Boon stuff we were exposed to.
Many of her works were serialised in our local Chinese-language newspapers which, in those days, had dedicated pages for things literature.
Rest in peace Ms Chiong Yau.
