Tang Pik-wan

Biography

Tang Pik-wan (original name Tang Shaofu), also known as Deng Biyun, was born on September 27, 1926 in Canton (Guangzhou) and spent her childhood there before moving to Hong Kong. She studied at Pooi To Middle School in Hong Kong. From a young age she loved theater, so at thirteen she began studying singing under Liao Liaoliao and acting under Xiao Lanfang, and formally joined a professional troupe at fourteen. At fifteen she was promoted to principal "dan" (female lead) roles, excelling in various character types including male roles. She spoke several local dialects including Shiqi, Shunde, and Siyi, earning the title "Versatile Queen of Dan Roles." She later joined the Tai Ping troupe, and during the War of Resistance against Japan performed in Macau. She then returned to Guangzhou and joined the "Jin Tian Hua" troupe, forming a duo with Zheng Biying known as the "Two Big and Little Sister Bi." Together with Liang Biyu they formed the "Three Bi": Big Bi Deng Biyun, Middle Bi Liang Biyu, and Little Bi Zheng Biying. She married Lei Weizhou and had a daughter named Lei Airan. In 1950 Tang Pik-wan began her film career in Hong Kong, appearing in over 250 films, mostly comedies. She was famous for portraying shrewish daughters-in-law, naive girls, and Shunde "maaje" (auntie) characters. She was one of the "Eight Peonies," a sisterhood of eight Cantonese opera actresses, with Tang being the Blue Peony. In 1977, producer Yip Kit-hing coaxed her out of semi-retirement to appear in the television drama "A House is Not a Home," launching the second half of her career in television. She played mother roles in various TV series, most notably "Seasons" in the 1980s where she portrayed "Ma-da" (a phonetic rendering of "Mother"), a character that became immensely popular and synonymous with her name. Tang Pik-wan passed away on March 25, 1991 in Hong Kong due to lung failure at the age of 66. Her funeral was attended by eight prominent Hong Kong stars who served as pallbearers, including Chow Yun-fat, Jackie Chan, Liao Wei-hung, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Gallen Lo, Lam Chun-hin, Yan Guoliang, Wong Pak-ming, and Pan Zhi-wen. Her last appearance was as a guest on an ATV program. Her ashes were interred at Diamond Hill Cemetery. In her memory, her family made donations to Hong Kong charities, and several centers were named after her, including the Po Leung Kuk Tang Pik-wan Memorial Kindergarten and the Yan Chai Hospital Tang Pik-wan Memorial Elderly Neighborhood Centre.