Ching Chung

Biography

Ching Chung, born Zhang Linglin, is a Hong Kong actress and painter born in Changsha, Hunan in 1933. She moved to Hong Kong in 1949 after the establishment of the People's Republic of China. She began her acting career in 1952 when she enrolled in the actors' training program at the Tai Shan Film Company in Hong Kong. After graduation, she appeared in several films including Seven Sisters, Begonia Flower, and Another Spring Flower. She joined the Xin Hua Film Company in 1955 and rose to fame in 1956 with the film Peach Blossom River, and her songs became popular in Southeast Asia, earning her the nickname "Little Wild Cat." Ching Chung starred in successful films such as Nobody Is Without Love, Golden Silk Dress, Madame Butterfly, Songbird of Alishan, and Give Me a Kiss. She became the most sought-after young actress of her era in the film industry, and gained fame as a recording artist in Southeast Asia despite singer Yao Li performing the vocals for her films. In 1957 she received an invitation from Shaw Brothers to appear in several films, then temporarily retired from cinema due to illness before making a comeback. After the decline of the film industry, she appeared in her final film Raging Tide with actor Ko Chun-hsiung in 1962 and then left the film world permanently. After her retirement she ran a restaurant in Hong Kong and studied painting, excelling in traditional Chinese painting. Writer Jiang Yun noted that Ching Chung was a shining star in the film world of the 1950s and 1960s, but later chose a simple and quiet life with her brushes and canvases.