Netizens Noticed That a Hong Kong Superstar Has Died Every 10 Years Since 1973

Even if you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard of the unfortunate passing of Hong Kong superstar Coco Lee.

And while most celebrity deaths are unlinked, some people have managed to point out an odd pattern:

That from 1973, at least one famous celebrity from Hong Kong has passed away every ten years.

(That’s 1973, 1983, 1993 and so on.)

And here’s a look at all the celebrities who’ve passed away in years that end with “3”.

1973: Bruce Lee

While many of us probably weren’t even born back when Bruce Lee passed away, there’s no doubt that most of us have at least heard of him before.

Back in 1973, Lee, an American-born martial artist, passed away after an allergic reaction to meprobamate, a tranquilliser in the headache painkiller he took.

He was one of the most prominent kung fu masters who changed the way Asians were portrayed in American shows.

Prior to his passing, he was diagnosed with cerebral edema and had a similar headache right before he died.

An autopsy found that his brain had swelled, but studies in the years after his death revealed that he had other risk factors like heat stroke, low sodium in his blood, excessive water intake and alcohol consumption, and the overuse of multiple drugs.

1983: Alexander Fu Sheng

Like Lee, Fu was also a martial arts actor whose most prominent works include Heroes Two (1974) and its sequels.

He passed away at the young age of 28 after being involved in a car accident while travelling home.

Fu, who was the passenger in a Porche 911 at that point in time, was not wearing a seat belt when his car swerved and rammed into a concrete wall.

The driver was his brother, Horatio Cheung Chun Sheng.

After being taken to hospital, Fu eventually succumbed to his injuries despite receiving blood transfusions.

1993: Wong Ka Kui, Danny Chan

Those who grew up in the 90s probably remember Beyond, a rock band from Hong Kong.

And fans would definitely remember the horrifying incident that took the life of lead singer Wong Ka Kui.

When filming an episode of a game show in Japan back in June 1993, he fell off a slippery platform.

He ended up landing head first after falling from a height of 2.7 metres.

After the fall, Wong was taken to hospital but stayed in a coma and passed away six days after the incident.

He was 31.

Later that year, prominent singer-songwriter Danny Chan passed away in October 1993 after a 17-month-long coma.

He was known as the “first modern-day pop idol” and was popular around the same time as other names like Leslie Cheung, Alan Tam and Anita Mui. Together, they formed the “Three Kings and a Queen”.

Back in May 1992, he had apparently mixed alcohol with medication on accident, causing brain damage and a coma.

Chan, who also worked as an actor, was 35 when he passed away.

2003: Leslie Cheung, Anita Mui

A decade after Chan’s passing, fellow Hong Kong singer Leslie Cheung died in April 2003 at the age of 46.

He died by suicide after jumping from the 24th storey of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Hong Kong.

Cheung, whose 26-year career saw him release countless albums, left behind a note saying that he had been struggling with severe depression.

Three months after her good friend’s passing, popular singer Anita Mui revealed she had been diagnosed with cervical cancer in September 2003.

Mui, who is still considered one of the most well-known Cantonese singers today, saw her older sister pass away from the same disease in 2000.

Ultimately, she passed away at the age of 40 in December 2003 after suffering from respiratory complications which led to lung failure.

2013: Lau Kar-Leung, Sita Chan

A decade ago in April, Hong Kong singer Sita Chan was involved in a car accident.

Chan, who was just 26 years old at that time, had just made her Cantopop debut in 2011.

She had apparently lost control of her car due to poor weather, resulting in a car accident as she hit a curb before ramming into the central divider on the Hoi Po Road flyover.

Two months after Chan’s death, Hong Kong actor, director and martial artist Lau Kar-Leung died at the age of 78 due to leukaemia.

Lau, who was born in Guangzhou, directed well-known films like The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, which starred Gordon Liu, as well as Drunk Master II, which featured Jackie Chan.

He also won various awards at ceremonies like the Golden Horse Awards and the Hong Kong Film Awards.

He passed away in June 2013 after dealing with leukaemia for around 20 years.

2023: Richard Ng, Coco Lee

Actor Richard Ng, most well-known for the comedic roles that he took on between 1975 and 2020, passed away at the age of 83 in April this year.

Prior to his death, he had been battling multiple health issues for years.

These issues included kidney issues and a cardiac embolism, which resulted in him requiring dialysis and surgery respectively.

Most recently, pop singer Coco Lee passed away last Wednesday (5 July).

As one of the most globally-known superstars born in Hong Kong, her death was reported as a suicide.

Lee attempted to take her life on 2 July and remained in a coma after that until her death.

She was 48.

After her death, it was revealed that she had been suffering from depression.

“Pattern” Might be Astrological

After Lee’s death, Hong Kong astrologist-feng shui master said that a “vicious astrological cycle” would cause a death in the entertainment industry every ten years.

The astrologist, James Lee Shing Chak, told am730 earlier this year that astrological movements would cause harm to a celebrity “good at singing and dancing”.