Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu, best known for her role as Shan Cai in the hit Asian drama Meteor Garden, passed away at the age of 48.
Her sister, Dee Hsu, confirmed the heartbreaking news on February 3 through her manager, revealing that Barbie contracted influenza while on a family vacation in Japan for the Lunar New Year.
"During the Lunar New Year, our family came to Japan for vacation. My dearest sister Barbie has unfortunately left us after getting pneumonia, triggered by influenza," Dee shared, according to a BBC report.
Other reports quoted Dee saying, "I was grateful to be her sister in this life and that we got to care for and spend time with each other. I will always be grateful to her and miss her!"
According to the same BBC report, Barbie had a history of epilepsy and heart disease and had been hospitalized in the past due to seizures.
Barbie is survived by her husband, South Korean musician DJ Koo, as well as two children, aged 10 and 8, from her previous marriage to Chinese businessman Wang Xiao Fei.
Meteor Garden co-star Ken Chu paid tribute to Barbie by posting a solid black image on his Instagram stories. He also shared a nostalgic photo of the drama's main cast, including Jerry Yan (Dao Ming Si), Vanness Wu (Mei Zuo), Vic Zhou (Hua Ze Lei), and himself (Xi Men).
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Barbie also appeared in several TV shows and movies like Mars (2004), The Ghost Inside (2005), and Summer's Desire (2010).
Influenza in Japan: What you need to know
In a report by The Japan Times, Japan saw a record of 64.39 influenza patients per clinic in the final week of December 2024—the highest since records began in 1999.
A total of 317,812 flu cases were reported in one week, nearly three times the number from the same period in 2023. Oita Prefecture had the highest average cases per clinic (104.84), followed by Kagoshima (96.4) and Saga (94.36). Tokyo recorded 56.52 cases per clinic.
Flu outbreaks led to 1,838 school closures, including 1,200 elementary schools, as students prepare for entrance exams. The government urges mask-wearing and handwashing to curb infections.
Elderly people, including people with underlying conditions, are at a higher risk for influenza, and are advised to get vaccinated.
Read more about the new Japan visa process for Filipino travelers here.
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