TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Well-known romance novelist Chiung Yao (瓊瑤) died from suicide at the age of 86 in her home on Wednesday (Dec. 4).
Chiung passed away in New Taipei's Tamsui District at 1:22 p.m. per Business Today. Her 63-year-old son said that his mother had left a suicide note instructing her secretary to check on her around noon.
Upon entering the home, the secretary found Chiung to be unresponsive and called 119. Emergency responders confirmed that she had died and did not transport her to the hospital.
Before her death, Chiung told her relatives and friends to post a suicide note and her final work "When Snowflakes Fall" (當雪花飄落) on Facebook, per CNA. The post asked friends not to be sad as she has already "passed away gracefully," and she advised young people to never easily give up on life, considering setbacks as only trials in a beautiful life.
Chiung, whose real name was Chen Che (陳喆), was born in 1938 in Chengdu, Sichuan, per Mirror Media. Her father was a professor at the National Normal University, while her mother once taught Chinese literature at Taiwan Jianguo High School.
Chiung displayed a talent for writing from a young age, publishing her first novel at just 9 years old. She graduated from Zhongshan Girls' High School but chose not to pursue further education.
At the age of 21, she married for the first time, but divorced when she was 27. In the 1970s, she married Ping Hsin-tao (平鑫濤), the head of Crown Publishing, who passed away in 2019.
At the age of 25, Chiung debuted with the publication of “Outside the Window,” which was later adapted into a Taiwanese romantic film. Actress Brigitte Lin (林青霞), at 17 years old, made her acting debut in the film and became the first iconic lead actress in Chiung's works.
Chiung's dramas include “Misty Rain,” “Wan-chun,” “The Deep Garden and Courtyard,” and “My Fair Princess” (還珠格格). They catapulted many actors and actresses to fame, such as Zhen Zhen (甄珍), Joan Lin (林鳳嬌), Zhao Wei (趙薇), Ruby Lin (林心如), Steve Ma (馬景濤), and Kevin Lin (林瑞陽).
Those experiencing thoughts of suicide should immediately seek help by calling the Taiwan Suicide Prevention Center at 1925, or the Taiwan Lifeline International at 1995. Foreign residents can call the Community Services Center at 02-2836-8134 (business hours) or 0932-594-578 (after hours).
