Actress Joey Wong reflects on life after 20-year hiatus

Taiwanese actress Joey Wong. Photo from Joey Wong super topic Weibo

In the video, Wong, now 58, discussed her career and experiences, recalling how, in her younger years, she worked tirelessly to establish herself in the film industry, often facing challenges and uncertainties about her future. As she entered the later stages of her life, she focused on nurturing inner peace, improving her health, and deepening her spiritual life, she said.

Wong shared that after leaving the screen, she was eager to learn and practice moxibustion, a traditional Chinese medicine therapy that involves burning mugwort on specific points of the body. She opened a moxibustion shop in Canada, where she currently resides, and expressed that this would be her life’s work as long as she had the strength to continue.

The video quickly garnered tens of thousands of comments on Weibo.

"Congratulations on doing the work you love," one fan commented.

"Starting a new career at 58 is not too late," another added.

Wong moved to Canada in 2004. According to Next Apple, she devoted herself to studying Buddhist philosophy and practicing at home, living a very private life and rarely going out.

HK01 noted that Wong’s current lifestyle contrasts sharply with her years in the entertainment industry. In the 1980s and 1990s, she was a top star, often referred to as the "jade girl" for her innocent charm.

At 17, she entered the film industry and quickly rose to fame across Asia with films like "A Chinese Ghost Story," "Green Snake," "The Eagle Shooting Heroes," "The Reincarnation of Golden Lotus," and "God of Gamblers."

Wong had a romantic relationship with singer Chyi Chin and even planned to marry him in Tibet, but they broke off their engagement after discovering that Chyi had a child from a previous relationship, who later sued him for child support. In the 1990s, her "jade girl" image was marred when it was revealed that she was romantically involved with Hong Kong tycoon Peter Lam, who was married at the time.

According to Apple Daily, Lam pampered Wong by gifting her a villa on Kotewall Road worth HK$13 million (US$1.7 million). Their relationship ended in 1996, with Lam reportedly falling for another actress.

After her relationship with Lam, Wong appeared in fewer films and gradually faded from the public eye.