The Star Who Left on April Fools' Day — Remembering Leslie Cheung, and the Return of Farewell My Concubine
On April 1, 2003, the world thought he was joking. But it was real. On the 22nd anniversary of Leslie Cheung's passing, and with the re-release of Farewell My Concubine: The Original, we remember him once more.
April Fools' Day, But It Was No Joke
April 1, 2003, 6:41 PM.
A man jumped from the 24th floor of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Hong Kong.
When the news broke, the world laughed at first. "What day is it? Must be an April Fools' prank."
But it was no prank.
He was 46 years old. Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing passed away just like that.
Who Was He?
Leslie Cheung was born on September 12, 1956, in Hong Kong. His father was one of Hong Kong's top tailors at the time, reportedly making clothes for Coco Chanel and Alfred Hitchcock. Despite his glamorous family background, Leslie's childhood was one deprived of parental affection.
After placing second at the Asian Song Festival in 1977, he debuted in the music industry and went on to lead the golden age of Hong Kong pop in the 1980s. Alongside Alan Tam, he formed the legendary rivalry that captivated millions of fans.
But he was more than just a singer. He shone equally as a film actor.
- A Better Tomorrow (1986) — directed by John Woo, alongside Chow Yun-fat
- Days of Being Wild (1990) — directed by Wong Kar-wai
- Farewell My Concubine (1993) — directed by Chen Kaige — today's main feature
- Ashes of Time (1994) — directed by Wong Kar-wai
- Happy Together (1997) — directed by Wong Kar-wai
Farewell My Concubine — His Most Radiant Moment
Farewell My Concubine (1993)
Directed by Chen Kaige and starring Leslie Cheung, Zhang Fengyi, and Gong Li, this film is more than just a movie. It is an epic that captures every upheaval China endured in the 20th century — Japanese occupation, the Chinese Civil War, the Cultural Revolution — through the lives and love of two Peking opera performers.
The character Leslie Cheung played: Cheng Dieyi.
Trained from childhood to perform female roles in Peking opera, he comes to believe he truly is a woman. A person who has lost the boundary between onstage and offstage. To portray this complex character, Leslie actually studied Peking opera, and the result pierced through the screen and into the hearts of audiences.
"I was born a woman." — Cheng Dieyi, Farewell My Concubine
The film won the Palme d'Or at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival. It was the first Chinese-language film ever to receive this honor, and it remains a legend to this day.
April 1, 2026 — The Film Returns
Farewell My Concubine: The Original is set for re-release on April 1, 2026.
Of all days, the very day he left this world.
Whether this is coincidence or intention remains unknown. But one thing is certain — those sitting in the theater gazing at the screen that day will not simply be watching a movie. They will be offering Leslie Cheung a long-overdue reunion after 22 years.
A Name Etched on the Avenue of Stars
On the Avenue of Stars in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, Leslie Cheung's handprint is engraved. Every April 1st, fans come bearing flowers.
It is proof that Hong Kong, Asia, and everyone who loved him has never forgotten.
What He Left Behind
As a singer and actor, Leslie Cheung left behind works that transcend time. But what he truly left behind may be something far simpler.
Perfectly beautiful moments.
When he sang on stage, when he shed tears on screen, he was completely present. And those moments are forever embedded in film and recordings.
On April 1st, when the theater darkens and Farewell My Concubine begins.
We step once more into those perfect moments.
Leslie Cheung (Zhang Guorong) September 12, 1956 — April 1, 2003
"I don't mind dying. My music and films will live on."
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