Family and fans of Taiwanese romance novelist Chiung Yao are in mourning after the writer passed away in an apparent suicide at her home in Tamsui, New Taipei City, yesterday (Dec 4). She was 86.
In her suicide note posted on Facebook, Chiung Yao shared she wanted to decide when and how she died instead of enduring the suffering that comes with old age.
“I am a ‘spark’ and I have burned as brightly as possible. Now, before the flames are extinguished, I choose to leave gracefully,” she wrote.
“Dear friends, do not be sad about my ‘death’, but be glad for me! The beauty of life lies in the ability to love, hate, laugh, cry, sing, speak, move, and live freely, passionately, and meaningfully. I have experienced all these joys, and I have truly lived.”
She also urged young people to cherish life and live with strength, and not to give up lightly.
Accompanying the note was a two-minute farewell video in which she said: “The time has come; life will not get better. While I can still smile, still sing, without burdening those I love, and transcending illness. My heart soars freely, with joy unbound.”
According to TVBS, Chiung Yao had left a note instructing her secretary to check on her at noon on Dec 4.
Despite the secretary calling for an emergency services immediately after discovering her body, Chiung Yao was pronounced dead at the scene.
Later reports revealed she had died from asphyxiation caused by carbon monoxide poisoning.
Born Chen Che in Chengdu in 1938, she later adopted the pen name Chiung Yao and moved to Taiwan with her parents in 1949.
A celebrated author, a number of her romance novels were adapted into popular films and TV dramas, such as 1998 period drama My Fair Princess, which turned actresses Vicki Zhao, Ruby Lin, and Fan Bingbing into major stars.
In recent years, Chiung Yao had rarely appeared in public. In 2017, she published an open letter to her son, now 63, and daughter-in-law on Facebook, detailing her final wishes.
Photos: Chiung Yao/Facebook