Special thanks to O.G. and Terence for writing the biography
Jun Hai-tang was born on 16 November 1939 in Shantou, China and resided at Xiamen for a
time before moving to Hong Kong.
Her first screen appearance was in the Ha-Yuen movie Love of Young People (1951) at the
age of twelve under the name of Xiao Juan with the Amoy movie company. Besides
appearing in more than 50 Hokkien movies, she also dubbed for other movie companies as
she was an accomplished singer.
In 1962, while dubbing for Jen Chieh in “The Dream Of The Red Chamber” at Shaw studio,
she caught the attention of director Li Han-hsiang who was doing pre-production work on
The Butterfly Lovers. That year, two Huangmei opera movies, Love Eterne and Hung Niang
were being developed in tandem at Shaw studio. Filming commenced first on Hung Niang
with Margaret Tu Chuan in the title role and Ling Po in a secondary female role. At the same
time, Li Han-hsiang was looking around for a fresh face to cast the main male character for
Love Eterne, which was due to begin filming. He made the momentous decision to cast Ivy
Ling Po in the role instead of a male actor after being impressed by her singing. Due to
competition with Cathay, which was also filming Liang Zhu, Shaw Brothers pushed for a
quicker completion of Love Eterne. When it became a box office hit, the decision was taken
to completely destroy the film Hung Niang, as it was feared the release of the film would
detract her popularity as a male impersonator. Although the Cathay version starred Li Li-hua
and Lucilla Yu Ming, two famous movie queens, the Shaw version, which was released 20
months earlier, completely overshadowed it, and Ivy Ling Po became a household name.
When Ling Po flew to Taipei to promote the movie on 31 October 1963, she was mobbed by
thousands at the airport and more who had lined the streets. The Love Eterne was the talk of
the town as its box office takings had surpassed the records of domestic and foreign films.
Everyone could sing the songs in the film. Astounded, the Hong Kong press proclaimed :
"Taipei is a city in frenzy." Everywhere she went, they yelled "Brother Liang", a nickname
that has stuck to this day. Some people saw The Love Eterne more than 50 or 100 times, and
Run Run Shaw issued a statement saying that these superfans were not to be charged for
their tickets anymore. Inside the cinema, the audience would sing along with the stars on
the screen. 40 years later, the Shaw film festival showing restored Shaws classics as a package
became enormously successful because of packed houses for The Love Eterne. A new
generation of film fans bore witness in a startled fashion to the grand sing-along inside the
cinema.
At the 2nd Golden Horse Awards, the judges were so impressed by her performance as Liang
Shan-po that they created a special award for her, citing OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE.
One year later, Ivy Ling Po took home the coveted title of ASIAN MOVIE QUEEN when she
won the “Best Actress" award at the 11th Asian Film Festival for her superlative performance
in "Lady General Hua Mulan". She would add the MOST VERSATILE TALENT award to her
collection when she won it at the 12th Asian Film Festival a year later for her role as a young
prince in "The Grand Substitution" and a scholar in "The Mermaid". She became the leading
figure in the Huangmei Opera genre and was usually cast in male roles. Every year without
fail, Ivy Ling Po would be in the list of the Top Ten stars in Hong Kong in polls conducted
by magazines and newspapers. Indeed she was no. 1 for many years in annual polls conducted
by Cinemart magazine, an independent movie magazine.
To diversify and further demonstrate her versatility, Ling Po tried successfully for various
roles in swordplay and contemporary genres. On one of her contemporary outings, she
acquitted herself so well that she picked up a BEST ACTRESS award at the 6th Golden Horse
Awards, playing the ill-fated wife of Kwan Shan in "Too Late For Love".
In 1975, her cameo as a neglected empress in Li Han-hsiang's "The Empress Dowager" won
her the BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS award at the Asian Film Festival. Despite her limited
screen time in this epic, it was remarkable that she won this award among stiff competition.
After her contract with Shaw Brothers ended in 1975, she went freelance and went on to act
in television and in several films developed with her husband, actor-director Chin Han. A
plum movie role in which she had to age from a teenager to an old woman in "Father
Husband Son" won her another BEST ACTRESS award on 15 June 1974 at the 20th Asian
Film Festival. Her last screen appearance was in the hit movie Golden Swallow (1987), which
grossed HK$9,806,707 at the box-office. In her swan song, Ivy Ling Po was unforgettable as
an evil witch, a role she had never played before. She retired after that and migrated with her
husband and three sons to Toronto, Canada in 1989.
Ivy Ling Po made a spectacular comeback in 2002 when she teamed up with another veteran
Shaw actress, Hu Chin, to recreate The Love Eterne on stage. Billed as Butterfly Lovers 40,
two original cast members, Li Kun & Jen Chieh, were also on hand to play their respective
roles. Ling Po toured extensively with this stage version of her signature movie, bringing it
to Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan & USA. This stage musical was so successful that she had to
restage it two years later in Taiwan. A double DVD set was released in 2003 by Rock Records.
Since then, Ivy Ling Po has staged numerous concerts in Taiwan, USA and Malaysia. Her two
concerts at Genting, City Of Entertainment, in Malaysia in 2005 were particularly
memorable as she brought along her close friends Hu Chin, Chin Hsiang-lin & Yueh Hua to
perform with her. Fans flew in from as far away as USA, Australia, Taiwan & Hong Kong to
pay homage.
In 2006, Ivy Ling Po returned to the HK Colliseum as part of a large group of singers for the
Everlasting Golden Hits concert. She performed her signature songs from The Love Eterne
with Lisa Wang who sang the part of Zhu Ying-tai. In addition, she thrilled audiences with
her definitive version of Jiao Dao from "The Crimson Palm" and claimed her song back from
cover versions sung over the years by Tsin Ting, Jenny Tseng and Yao Su-rung. Many in the
audience went especially to see her despite the presence of other top singers like Frances Yip,
Eliza Chan, Susanna Kwan, Wah Wa (sister of Liu Yun), Sandra Lang, Kenny Bee, Johnny Yip
& Adam Cheng. A 3-CD set was released in March in HK by Kinston Entertainment & a
DVD/VCD release followed a few months later.
With many of her Shaw movies being re-released by Celestial, Ivy Ling Po has become a
"hot" star again. She was naturally in the first batch of Hong Kong celebrities who were
invited to open the Avenue Of Stars in April 2004. The Avenue Of Stars is modelled on the
Hollywood Walk Of Fame and located along the Victoria Harbour waterfront in Tsim Sha
Tsui. If you go to the official website at www.avenueofstars.com.hk and click on "glittering
welcoming" you can relive the spectacle of the opening ceremony with special messages from
the celebrities including Ivy Ling Po. Her hand prints and signature are now prominently
displayed there affirming her status as one of the greats of the Hong Kong film industry. (Go
to the bottom of this page for the video clip and picture).
In January 2006, Ivy Ling Po added another feather in her cap when she was awarded the
WIFTI-HK Professional Achievement Award with the re-release and screening of the
remastered "The 14 Amazons" at HK Arts Centre. Ivy received the award from Dr. Charles
Wang, director of Salon Film (HK) Ltd. Women In Film & Television International--
WIFTI--is a global network comprised of some 37 Women In Film chapters worldwide, and
over 10,000 members dedicated to advancing professional development and achievement for
women working in all areas of film, video, and other screen-based media.
In April 2006, Ivy Ling Po and Chin Han appeared on prime-time TVB for an interview. Ivy
also promoted the CD release of Everlasting Golden Hits concert whilst in HK.
On 8 April 2006, the couple attended the HK Awards with son Kenneth Bi and daughter-in-
law Rosa Li. To their delight as proud parents, they witnessed him receive the "Best New
Director" award for his work on Rice Rhapsody, in which they also made a cameo appearance.
2006 marked their Ruby wedding anniversary and the celebrity couple celebrated 40 years of
wedded bliss with ex-Shaw stars Chin Ping, Fang Yin, Chiao Chiao, Cheng Pei-Pei, Helen Ma,
Ching Li, Tanny Tien Ni, Yueh Hua, Alison Chang Yen, Lily Li, Ti Lung & Chen Hung-lieh at
a dinner hosted in their honour.
In October 2006, Ivy Ling Po, Hu Chin and Xie Lei performed for adoring fans at Star City
in Sydney, Australia. The response was so overwhelming that each of the 2 concerts lasted for
close to 3 hours.
Ivy Ling Po was also the special guest star at the Frances Yip S.U.C.C.E.S.S concert held at the
Queen Elizabeth theatre in Vancouver on October 30. Although she only sang 3 songs,
many of her fans made the effort to attend the concert from all over the USA and Canada. S.
U.C.C.E.S.S refers to the United Chinese Community Enrichment Services Society, whose
mandate is to promote the well being of all Canadians and immigrants.
As 2006 drew to a close, Celestial released "The Mirror & The Lychee" in Nov 2006 and
"Duel For Gold" in Dec 2006. With these two diverse movies, Ivy Ling Po earned new
recognition and fame for her good acting, charisma and most important of all, her
versatility. In early 2007, her unquestionable talent as a singer was once again highlighted in
"The Adulteress" , in which she sang superbly for Li Li-hua, and also in "The Return Of The
Phoenix", where she enlivened the proceedings by dubbing for the ugly step-sister portrayed
by Elizabeth Zhuang Yuan-yong.
In her personal life, Ivy Ling Po and hubby Chin Han are taking it easy in 2007 by relaxing
and playing golf in Hong Kong with good friends Hu Chin & Chin Hsiang-Lin in February
2007 and then flying to Taipei to usher in the Year Of The Pig with their youngest son. This
promises to be a good year indeed as Celestial prepares to remaster and release the remainder
of her Shaw films, including the highly-anticipated "Flight Man", which was not released in
Hong Kong in the 70s.
END
Jun Hai-tang was born on 16 November 1939 in Shantou, China and resided at Xiamen for a
time before moving to Hong Kong.
Her first screen appearance was in the Ha-Yuen movie Love of Young People (1951) at the
age of twelve under the name of Xiao Juan with the Amoy movie company. Besides
appearing in more than 50 Hokkien movies, she also dubbed for other movie companies as
she was an accomplished singer.
In 1962, while dubbing for Jen Chieh in “The Dream Of The Red Chamber” at Shaw studio,
she caught the attention of director Li Han-hsiang who was doing pre-production work on
The Butterfly Lovers. That year, two Huangmei opera movies, Love Eterne and Hung Niang
were being developed in tandem at Shaw studio. Filming commenced first on Hung Niang
with Margaret Tu Chuan in the title role and Ling Po in a secondary female role. At the same
time, Li Han-hsiang was looking around for a fresh face to cast the main male character for
Love Eterne, which was due to begin filming. He made the momentous decision to cast Ivy
Ling Po in the role instead of a male actor after being impressed by her singing. Due to
competition with Cathay, which was also filming Liang Zhu, Shaw Brothers pushed for a
quicker completion of Love Eterne. When it became a box office hit, the decision was taken
to completely destroy the film Hung Niang, as it was feared the release of the film would
detract her popularity as a male impersonator. Although the Cathay version starred Li Li-hua
and Lucilla Yu Ming, two famous movie queens, the Shaw version, which was released 20
months earlier, completely overshadowed it, and Ivy Ling Po became a household name.
When Ling Po flew to Taipei to promote the movie on 31 October 1963, she was mobbed by
thousands at the airport and more who had lined the streets. The Love Eterne was the talk of
the town as its box office takings had surpassed the records of domestic and foreign films.
Everyone could sing the songs in the film. Astounded, the Hong Kong press proclaimed :
"Taipei is a city in frenzy." Everywhere she went, they yelled "Brother Liang", a nickname
that has stuck to this day. Some people saw The Love Eterne more than 50 or 100 times, and
Run Run Shaw issued a statement saying that these superfans were not to be charged for
their tickets anymore. Inside the cinema, the audience would sing along with the stars on
the screen. 40 years later, the Shaw film festival showing restored Shaws classics as a package
became enormously successful because of packed houses for The Love Eterne. A new
generation of film fans bore witness in a startled fashion to the grand sing-along inside the
cinema.
At the 2nd Golden Horse Awards, the judges were so impressed by her performance as Liang
Shan-po that they created a special award for her, citing OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE.
One year later, Ivy Ling Po took home the coveted title of ASIAN MOVIE QUEEN when she
won the “Best Actress" award at the 11th Asian Film Festival for her superlative performance
in "Lady General Hua Mulan". She would add the MOST VERSATILE TALENT award to her
collection when she won it at the 12th Asian Film Festival a year later for her role as a young
prince in "The Grand Substitution" and a scholar in "The Mermaid". She became the leading
figure in the Huangmei Opera genre and was usually cast in male roles. Every year without
fail, Ivy Ling Po would be in the list of the Top Ten stars in Hong Kong in polls conducted
by magazines and newspapers. Indeed she was no. 1 for many years in annual polls conducted
by Cinemart magazine, an independent movie magazine.
To diversify and further demonstrate her versatility, Ling Po tried successfully for various
roles in swordplay and contemporary genres. On one of her contemporary outings, she
acquitted herself so well that she picked up a BEST ACTRESS award at the 6th Golden Horse
Awards, playing the ill-fated wife of Kwan Shan in "Too Late For Love".
In 1975, her cameo as a neglected empress in Li Han-hsiang's "The Empress Dowager" won
her the BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS award at the Asian Film Festival. Despite her limited
screen time in this epic, it was remarkable that she won this award among stiff competition.
After her contract with Shaw Brothers ended in 1975, she went freelance and went on to act
in television and in several films developed with her husband, actor-director Chin Han. A
plum movie role in which she had to age from a teenager to an old woman in "Father
Husband Son" won her another BEST ACTRESS award on 15 June 1974 at the 20th Asian
Film Festival. Her last screen appearance was in the hit movie Golden Swallow (1987), which
grossed HK$9,806,707 at the box-office. In her swan song, Ivy Ling Po was unforgettable as
an evil witch, a role she had never played before. She retired after that and migrated with her
husband and three sons to Toronto, Canada in 1989.
Ivy Ling Po made a spectacular comeback in 2002 when she teamed up with another veteran
Shaw actress, Hu Chin, to recreate The Love Eterne on stage. Billed as Butterfly Lovers 40,
two original cast members, Li Kun & Jen Chieh, were also on hand to play their respective
roles. Ling Po toured extensively with this stage version of her signature movie, bringing it
to Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan & USA. This stage musical was so successful that she had to
restage it two years later in Taiwan. A double DVD set was released in 2003 by Rock Records.
Since then, Ivy Ling Po has staged numerous concerts in Taiwan, USA and Malaysia. Her two
concerts at Genting, City Of Entertainment, in Malaysia in 2005 were particularly
memorable as she brought along her close friends Hu Chin, Chin Hsiang-lin & Yueh Hua to
perform with her. Fans flew in from as far away as USA, Australia, Taiwan & Hong Kong to
pay homage.
In 2006, Ivy Ling Po returned to the HK Colliseum as part of a large group of singers for the
Everlasting Golden Hits concert. She performed her signature songs from The Love Eterne
with Lisa Wang who sang the part of Zhu Ying-tai. In addition, she thrilled audiences with
her definitive version of Jiao Dao from "The Crimson Palm" and claimed her song back from
cover versions sung over the years by Tsin Ting, Jenny Tseng and Yao Su-rung. Many in the
audience went especially to see her despite the presence of other top singers like Frances Yip,
Eliza Chan, Susanna Kwan, Wah Wa (sister of Liu Yun), Sandra Lang, Kenny Bee, Johnny Yip
& Adam Cheng. A 3-CD set was released in March in HK by Kinston Entertainment & a
DVD/VCD release followed a few months later.
With many of her Shaw movies being re-released by Celestial, Ivy Ling Po has become a
"hot" star again. She was naturally in the first batch of Hong Kong celebrities who were
invited to open the Avenue Of Stars in April 2004. The Avenue Of Stars is modelled on the
Hollywood Walk Of Fame and located along the Victoria Harbour waterfront in Tsim Sha
Tsui. If you go to the official website at www.avenueofstars.com.hk and click on "glittering
welcoming" you can relive the spectacle of the opening ceremony with special messages from
the celebrities including Ivy Ling Po. Her hand prints and signature are now prominently
displayed there affirming her status as one of the greats of the Hong Kong film industry. (Go
to the bottom of this page for the video clip and picture).
In January 2006, Ivy Ling Po added another feather in her cap when she was awarded the
WIFTI-HK Professional Achievement Award with the re-release and screening of the
remastered "The 14 Amazons" at HK Arts Centre. Ivy received the award from Dr. Charles
Wang, director of Salon Film (HK) Ltd. Women In Film & Television International--
WIFTI--is a global network comprised of some 37 Women In Film chapters worldwide, and
over 10,000 members dedicated to advancing professional development and achievement for
women working in all areas of film, video, and other screen-based media.
In April 2006, Ivy Ling Po and Chin Han appeared on prime-time TVB for an interview. Ivy
also promoted the CD release of Everlasting Golden Hits concert whilst in HK.
On 8 April 2006, the couple attended the HK Awards with son Kenneth Bi and daughter-in-
law Rosa Li. To their delight as proud parents, they witnessed him receive the "Best New
Director" award for his work on Rice Rhapsody, in which they also made a cameo appearance.
2006 marked their Ruby wedding anniversary and the celebrity couple celebrated 40 years of
wedded bliss with ex-Shaw stars Chin Ping, Fang Yin, Chiao Chiao, Cheng Pei-Pei, Helen Ma,
Ching Li, Tanny Tien Ni, Yueh Hua, Alison Chang Yen, Lily Li, Ti Lung & Chen Hung-lieh at
a dinner hosted in their honour.
In October 2006, Ivy Ling Po, Hu Chin and Xie Lei performed for adoring fans at Star City
in Sydney, Australia. The response was so overwhelming that each of the 2 concerts lasted for
close to 3 hours.
Ivy Ling Po was also the special guest star at the Frances Yip S.U.C.C.E.S.S concert held at the
Queen Elizabeth theatre in Vancouver on October 30. Although she only sang 3 songs,
many of her fans made the effort to attend the concert from all over the USA and Canada. S.
U.C.C.E.S.S refers to the United Chinese Community Enrichment Services Society, whose
mandate is to promote the well being of all Canadians and immigrants.
As 2006 drew to a close, Celestial released "The Mirror & The Lychee" in Nov 2006 and
"Duel For Gold" in Dec 2006. With these two diverse movies, Ivy Ling Po earned new
recognition and fame for her good acting, charisma and most important of all, her
versatility. In early 2007, her unquestionable talent as a singer was once again highlighted in
"The Adulteress" , in which she sang superbly for Li Li-hua, and also in "The Return Of The
Phoenix", where she enlivened the proceedings by dubbing for the ugly step-sister portrayed
by Elizabeth Zhuang Yuan-yong.
In her personal life, Ivy Ling Po and hubby Chin Han are taking it easy in 2007 by relaxing
and playing golf in Hong Kong with good friends Hu Chin & Chin Hsiang-Lin in February
2007 and then flying to Taipei to usher in the Year Of The Pig with their youngest son. This
promises to be a good year indeed as Celestial prepares to remaster and release the remainder
of her Shaw films, including the highly-anticipated "Flight Man", which was not released in
Hong Kong in the 70s.
END
| Avenue of Stars Hand Prints |
