Grace Chang (1933 – 2026)

Their Story

Grace Chang, a Hong Kong actress and singer whose films made her one of the defining screen idols of 1950s Chinese-language cinema, died on August 3, 2026, at the age of 93. Born Chang Yufang in Nanjing on June 13, 1933, Chang was a Haining, Zhejiang native who grew up in Shanghai before moving to Hong Kong with her father in 1948. She began vocal training as a child and cited the singer-actress Chow Hsuan as her idol growing up. Performing under the stage name Ko Lan, an approximation of her English name Grace, she launched her career with Taishan Pictures, making her debut in 1952's 'Seven Sisters.' Chang went on to become one of the Cathay Organization's most celebrated leading ladies, appearing in 33 films across an eleven-year acting career. Her best-known roles came in 'It Blossoms Again,' 'Mambo Girl,' and 'The Wild, Wild Rose,' films that cemented her status as a beloved figure among students and the middle class during the 1950s. In 1961, Chang married Gao Fuquan in London, and she retired from acting the same year her final films were released. Her life and career were later chronicled in the biography 'The Life of Grace Chang.' Across a relatively brief but prolific film career, Chang left behind a body of work and a musical voice that continued to resonate in Chinese-language cinema for generations after she stepped away from the screen.

Sources

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Chang