Chong Set Png

Biography

Chong Set Png was born on April 10, 1932, in Singapore and grew up there, with ancestral roots in Jinjiang, Fujian. Due to poor health in childhood, she had to stop her education after primary school and began her performing career at age 12. At 16, she joined a touring theatrical troupe in the Philippines and Malaysia, earning the title "Queen of Song and Dance" in the Nanyang region. As a native of Quanzhou, she was able to sing in several different dialects. She made her film debut in 1957 with a guest appearance as a song and dance girl in "The Mysterious Beauty" produced by Shaw Brothers. In 1958 and 1959, she became a leading star by playing leading roles in a series of Amoy-dialect and Mandarin films, rapidly gaining fame across Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, and the Philippines. She formed her own film production company and produced over 30 films. She toured extensively in the Philippines and Taiwan, performing live with her films in theaters, and also participated in Peking opera performances to raise funds. In 1963, she recorded five EP albums with Ruby Records in Singapore. She continued her artistic activities in Hong Kong, appearing on television programs on Rediffusion Television.