The late Hong Kong actor Leslie Cheung marks the 22nd anniversary of his passing.

Cheung reportedly left this world by jumping from the 24th-floor room at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Hong Kong on April 1, 2003. He was 46 years old. Coincidentally, when news of his death was reported on April Fool's Day, many could not believe it, and after the truth was revealed, some fans followed him into the afterlife, leaving Asia in deep sorrow.

Leslie Cheung debuted as a singer in 1977 with the album "I Like Dreamin'" and became a symbol of Hong Kong cinema, producing numerous hits such as "A Better Tomorrow," "Chinese Ghost Story," "Days of Being Wild," "Farewell My Concubine," "The East Is Red," "Happy Together," "The Golden Era," and "YIDO".

At that time, Cheung's popularity in Korea, where Hong Kong films were gaining traction, was beyond imagination, and news of his death created such a reaction that it was widely covered in domestic media, causing great shock.

Especially immediately after his death, various questions regarding the cause arose, leading to conspiracy theories. Allegations of foul play emerged due to Cheung's severe acrophobia, his ability to handle his schedule without issues up until his death, and the fact that just 10 minutes before he passed away, he was on the phone with his acquaintance Jin Sook-bun, saying, "Let's meet in 5 minutes." However, according to his family, Cheung had been known to suffer from depression, and the police concluded that he took his own life.

As a representative figure of Hong Kong cinema, even after more than 20 years since his passing, many continue to express their longing for him.

The domestic film industry has consistently continued to remember him. This year, too, time was set aside to commemorate him by re-releasing his representative works. On the 26th of last month, the extended version of "Farewell My Concubine," titled "Farewell My Concubine: The Original," was released, and on the 31st, the remastered versions of "Young and Dangerous" and "The Great Conqueror's Concubine" were released.

[Photo] Still photo, Dang Hak-deok SNS

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