Chan Lap Ban

Biography

Chan Lap Ban, born Chan Wai Fong on 29 November 1911 in Bangkok, Thailand, where she grew up, was a renowned Hong Kong actress in theatre, film and television. Her ancestral roots trace back to Nanhai County in Guangdong Province. Before the war, she began her career in an all-female Cantonese opera troupe, cross-dressing in male roles. In 1946, introduced by Lau Hak Sheung, she made her first film appearance. Known affectionately as "Auntie Ban," she became one of Hong Kong's most iconic supporting actresses in television drama from the 1950s through the late 1980s. She was famous for her distinctive large bun hairstyle, which became so iconic that when other artists wore similar styles, it was dubbed "Auntie Ban hair." She specialized in roles such as spirit mediums, old women from resettlement estates, and cleaning ladies. She appeared in every episode of the classic series "Below the Lion Rock," playing different characters each time, mostly elderly women living in resettlement housing, sometimes kind and gentle, sometimes shrewd and calculating. In 1985, she ran a boutique and briefly retired from acting, but returned in 1988 for guest television appearances. In the late 1980s, her health declined and her eyesight weakened, yet she continued acting in films. In May 1990, she was diagnosed with lung cancer and passed away on 18 July 1990 at the age of 79. Her funeral was held on 28 July, with Law Lan delivering the eulogy on behalf of TVB. Her body was cremated at Sha Tin Fu Shan Crematorium and her ashes were placed at St. Raphael's Catholic Cemetery in Cheung Sha Wan.