[2026.07.16] HONG KONG ACADEMY OF PERFORMING ARTS PAYS TRIBUTES TO CHUNG KING FAI AT HIS MEMORIAL EVENT

Nephew Chung Chi Kuen (right) brings Chung King Fai's beloved "Square City" to the memorial stage

As Chan Kwok Bong and his wife Mimi Lo recall their time with their mentor, they cannot help but succumb to tears

Anthony Wong sees Chung King Fai as a benefactor and thank him for his lessons that has been useful all his life
courtesy of mingpao.com

The Hong Kong drama giant of a generation, famous performing arts and cultural art educator Chung King Fai (King Sir) passed away last month. The Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts yesterday held a "drama master Chung King Fai memorial". Poon Ka Tak, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Chua (Choi Wo Ping), John Chiang Dai Wai and his son-in-law Raymond Cho Wing Lim, Anthon Wong Chau Sun, Poon Chan Leung and his wife Louisa So Yuk Wah, Bowie Lam Bo Yi, Cheung Kwok Ming, Angelina Lo Yuen Yan, Anna Ng Wun Yee, Karen Mok Man Wai's mother Mok Ho Man Yi and the wheelchair bound Cheung Tat Ming attended to pay a final tribute to King Sir.

The theme of the memorial was one of King Sir's favorite drama, Thornton Wilder's "SMALL TOWN", as the academy's teachers, students and friends performed the work of King Sir and interspersed with the memory of King Sir; participants included Wong Cho Lam, Gardner Tse Kwan Ho, Chan Kwok Bong and his wife Mimi Lo (Law Man Chong).

His nephew Chung Chi Kuen wore Chung King Fai's favorite watch when he appeared on the stage and spoke on behalf of the family. He thanked everyone for their love for King Sir over the years and shared details about King Sir's life outside the stage few knew about, including his love for mahjong and his completely focused passion while enjoying local drama at home in his later years. He revealed Chung King Fai's final wish, "Regarding drama, King Sir has long advocated for making it widely available in secondary schools -- and even establishing it as a graded subject. He noted that drama training teaches not only acting but also life skills, as it requires empathy to understand the experiences and lives of different characters. Furthermore, drama fosters self-confidence and cultivates essential attributes such as maintaining eye contact, clear articulation and team spirit; all of which are very important."

The memorial even played Chung King Fai's interviews. Tse Kwan Ho, Chan Kwok Bong, Mok Ka Hiu, Wong Cho Lam took turns to share their experiences with their mentor on the stage. Although Johnnie To Kei Fung was ailing, he still thanked Chung King Fai for his guidance and mentorship with a hoarse voice. As the event neared its end, Tse Kwan Ho, Chan Kwok Bong, Mok Ka Hiu, Wong Cho Lam, Alica Lau Nga Lai, Law Man Chong and others performed MY WAY as a tribute.

Chan Kwok Bong said that everyone remembered King Sir in the drama, and there were tears and laughter. When he got sentimental, Chan Kwok Bong was crying so much that he could not speak. Law Man Chong said that when her husband received the news of his mentor's passing he immediately collapsed. However, Chan Kwok Bong also felt that he was the luckiest person among the King Sir's students. He had the opportunity to perform on the stage with King Sir for 7 to 8 years, visited many places, and King Sir even held his hand as they performed. The experience was very hard to forget. He imitated his mentor's dialogue delivery and believed that he would "watch over" the students' performance at the memorial from Heaven.

So Yuk Wah and Poon Chan Leung had a difficult time with hiding their sorrow. The former once got choked up as she recalled meeting Chung King Fai at age 20, and saw him as her role model; the latter felt that Chung King Fai's passing was a tremendous loss for Hong Kong, as he made numerous contributions to the Hong Kong show business. He would also remember his mentor's lesson and pointed out that King Sir has never been harsh on his students. He would also guide in a gentlemanly way. Wong Chau Sun regarded Chung King Fai as his benefactor who shaped his entire acting career, praising him for his great kindness and generosity -- noting that Chung once paid out of his own pocket to help other students study abroad. Recently, Wong Chau Sun announced via social media that he would be stepping away from the Hong Kong stage; he planned to work elsewhere -- engaging in film projects, lectures, and stage productions -- while continuing to reside in Hong Kong.

John Chiang Dai Wai praised King Sir as a very great mentor, very good in all aspects. From King Sir everyone could get something. "We often talk about the hope that the younger generation would be able to inherit the spirit of our film industry in causal chats."

Raymond Cho Wing Lim said that he has collaborated with King Sir on several occasions, the most profound of which was the 2006 situation comedy WELCOME TO THE HOUSE. He recalled that King Sir was quite a gentleman and never interfered with the way other actors were acting. Yet if anyone took the initiative to ask, he would be happy to answer. He thought that the loss of such a good elder and mentor was a great loss for the show business.