[2026.09.03] MARTIAL ART FILM STAR CHEN KUAN TAI PASSED AWAY AT AGE 80

Chen Kuan Tai passed away

Chen Kuan Tai updated his social media in March this year

Chen Kuan Tai worked with Stephen Chow

Chen Kuan Tai with A BOXER FROM SHANTUNG became an overnight success

Chen Kuan Tai's final film still has not been released yet
courtesy of on.cc

Chan Kuan Tai passed away at age 80 in Zhonghsan

Pierre Ngo (right) remembers mentor Chan Kuan Tai (left) as humorous

Chan Kuan Tai became a star with A BOXER FROM SHANTUNG, his tough guy image has been ingrained in people's hearts

Shaw female star Linda Chu (right) last year attended Chan Kuan Tai (left)'s 80th birthday banquet

Linda Chu (left) took a photo with Chan Kuan Tai and his current wife Tong Lei Ping (right)

Chan Kuan Tai (center) and his second wife Fong Yi Chun (right) wed in 1977 and gave birth to their son the next year
courtesy of mingpao.com

The 70s martial art superstar Chen Kuan Tai died early yesterday (2nd) at the age of 80. He was said to have died of cerebral hemorrhage, and the news was confirmed by his apprentice to his Shaw contemporary friends. According to Shaw's old friends, Chen Kuan Tai's health has always been generally normal. He still had tea with friends last month, and did not look any different; he was admitted to the hospital due to hydrocephalus a few days ago but passed away yesterday morning. Reportedly Chen Kuan Tai originally planned to return to Hong Kong to attend his colleagues' birthday parties.

Chen Kuan Tai won the light heavyweight championship in the Southeast Asian National Arts Championship as a third generation master of Tai Shing Pek Kwar, caught the eyes of martial art film master Chang Cheh and signed with Shaw. In 1968 he joined Shaw's Southern Experimental Theatre Company. In 1972 he starred in THE BOXER FROM SHANTUNG (MA WING JING), which made him an overnight success. With his agility and fighting style he established the mob fight film genre, and led the trend of Hong Kong-produced kung fu films for decades. Later he starred in THE BLOOD BROTHERS (CHI MA), THE SAVAGE 5 (NG FU JEUNG), classic kung fu films like THE FLYING GUILLOTINE (HUET DIK JI) and the classic drama FATHERLAND to solidify his status of the Hong Kong film "Tough Guy" and top Shaw's kung fu superstar. Chang Cheh's "Twin Stars" John Chiang Dai Wai and Ti Lung were on top of the world, and Chen Kuan Tai were on par with them. With the transformation of the Hong Kong films, Chen Kuan Tai gradually faded out of the scene and moved with his current wife to Zhongshan. In his later years he still cared about film, and had returned to Hong Kong to make guest appearances in movies like GALLANTS (DAI LUI TOI), participated in the behind-the-scenes work, and was even interested in opening a movie studio in the mainland.

Chen Kuan Tai's final Hong Kong film was the 2021 film LEGENDARY IN ACTION (DAI HUP ACTION!), which Justin Cheung Kin Sing produced and starred. Cheung Kin Sing expressed regret for the passing of his elder. The film was made over 5 years but still has not been released. Cheung Kin Sing pointed out that because the film needed to be inspected and find distribution, thus needed a lot of time. Yet recently he learned that the film would have a chance at a November release. Now he is planning to edit an all new edition in honor of the elder.

Chen Kuan Tai had an eye for the younger talent. Early on he noticed the then still rookie Stephen Chow Sing Chi on the TVB children program, went against the tide and borrowed the contract from Danny Lee Sau Yin to invite him to collaborate on the film SLEAZY DIZZY (SIU TAU AH SING). He praised Chow Sing Chi as creative and extremely professional. Regarding the passing of his benefactor, Chow Sing Chi posted on social network, "Ma Wing Jing of a generation, Master Chan Kuan Tai, have a safe journey!"

Chen Kuan Tai had experienced many marriages. In 1976 he and Shaw film star Jenny Tsai had a daughter Chen Wing Hay out of wedlock, but they broke up the next year. Later he and Taiwan star Fong Yi Jan wed, in 1978 they had a son Chen Chun Cheung. After the divorce he remarried in 1990 but years later he and his wife Zhao Tingting also ended up in divorce. Chen Kuan Tai once were linked to TVB artist Mariann Wong Cho Si. At the time she was rumored to have come between his marriage, but nothing came of their romance in the end. In October 2017, Chen Kuan Tai was revealed to have registered marriage with girlfriend Tang Li Ping who was 30 years his junior. He admitted that he really wanted to give her a status.

Pierre Ngo Ka Nin was a disciple of Chen Kuan Tai. He said that their birthday was only a day apart, every year they would wish each other good health. "I would send him a message every birthday to wish him a happy and healthy birthday, because he was born on September 25th and mine was September 26th. Since he settled in the mainland many years ago, we really haven't seen each other for many years. The only movie we made together was THE REAL IRON MONKEY (JUN GA TEET MA LAU), we really played master and disciple. He is a very humorous master to me, he is always joking. Of course he would talk a lot about his film experience, especially his days at Shaw's. Back then they really had a tough time on the set, having to fight and without air conditioning, and it was film, so making a movie then really was much tougher than us. May he rest in peace!" Ngo Ka-nin revealed that years ago he wrote the script for "The Blacksmith" based on Chen Kuan Tai, but since filming had not yet begun he did not inform his master. Now that his mentor has passed away, he will bring out another script and work hard to find investors, hoping to complete the project.

In his early years Ngo Ka Nin apprenticed under Chen Kuan Tai, which caused a dispute because Ngo Ka Nin has practiced martial arts for many years with fellow Tai Shing Pek Kwar sect's Sin Ho Ying. Later when he became a disciple of Chen Kuan Tai, Chen Kuan Tai was accused of disrespecting his master and was expelled by his master Chen Sau Chung. Last year Chen Kuan Tai was finally allowed to return to the Tai Shing Pek Kwar sect.

Martial arts star Chen Kuan Tai passed away yesterday morning at 5 a.m. in Zhongshan due to a brain hemorrhage at the age of 80. Services would begin on Saturday (the 5th) at the Zhongshan City Funeral Home, with a funeral the following day.

Veteran media personality Wang Manling announced the tragic news of Chen Kuan Tai's passing, revealing that at 5 a.m. yesterday, Chen suffered a second cardiac arrest and died despite rescue efforts. According to an old Shaw Brothers friend who has known him for many years, Chen Kuan Tai was generally in normal health. Last month he still met with his friend for tea and showed no signs of abnormality at the time. Unexpectedly, yesterday morning Chen Kuan Tai's younger brother with the news of his passing; Reportedly Chen Kuan Tai was recently hospitalized for treatment due to hydrocephalus. Yesterday, the family issued an obituary and announced arrangements for his funeral: "Mr. Chen Kuan Tai, the first-generation kung fu film master of Hong Kong and the third-generation master of the Tai Shing Pek Kwar, unfortunately passed away peacefully at 5 a.m. on September 2nd, 2026, at 5 a.m. in Zhongshan, Guangdong due to illness at the age of 82." The obituary was announced by his wife Tang Liping, son Chen Chun Cheung, and two daughters, Chen Chui Mei and Chen Chui Shan in mourning.