"Asia's star" Leslie Cheung has been gone for 23 years.
April 1, 2026, is the 23rd anniversary of the death of the late Leslie Cheung. He died on April 1, 2003, after jumping from the 24th floor of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Hong Kong where he was staying. He was 46.
Cheung died on April Fool's Day, and when the news of his death broke many fans around the world could not believe their eyes and ears. That shows how much he was loved, and when his death was confirmed many people mourned and some even followed him in death.
Immediately after Cheung's death there was much speculation about the cause. Conspiracy theories began because he suffered from a severe fear of heights in life, he had carried out his schedule without difficulty before his death, and he spoke on the phone with an acquaintance until just 10 minutes before his death, saying, "See you in five minutes."
As suspicions of foul play rose and many could not believe Cheung had died, his family said he had long suffered from depression, and the police concluded he had taken his own life.
Cheung, who debuted first as a singer with the 1977 album I Like Dreamin', appeared in numerous films such as A Better Tomorrow, A Chinese Ghost Story, Days of Being Wild, Ashes of Time, Happy Together, Farewell My Concubine, An Autumn's Tale and The Chinese Feast, scoring hits and becoming an icon of Hong Kong cinema.
When 1980s–90s Hong Kong films were very popular in Korea, Cheung, along with actors such as Chow Yun-fat, received much love from Korean fans, so on his anniversary his films are often re-released. On the 32nd anniversary films such as The Legend of the Deer 4K: The Original and Farewell My Concubine: The Original will meet audiences.
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