Lily Chao

Biography

Lily Chao (He Lili) was born in Nanjing in 1947 and moved with her parents to Taiwan the following year. Discovered by director Yuan Qiufeng at age 16, she debuted in the film *Song of Lanyu*. At 19, she moved to Hong Kong to develop her career with Shaw Brothers Studio. She caused an international sensation with her bold roles in *Wen Su Chen*, *Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan*, and *The 14 Amazons*. Dubbed the "Beautiful Princess," she was one of the "Shaw's Twelve Golden Flowers." She retired from acting at age 25 after marrying shipping tycoon Zhao Shiguang. After marriage, she went into business, opening a fashion store and exporting her designs under the name Lily Chao. She managed four restaurants in Shanghai and later invested in green farm projects in Jiangsu. Her husband passed away in 2016.