Daniel Chan Hiu Tung

Biography

Daniel Chan Hiu Tung is a Hong Kong singer, songwriter, and actor, born on September 3, 1975, and raised in Hong Kong. He grew up in the Shatin World Garden area, living near several prominent families. His father was from Shanghai and his mother was a Taiwanese Hakka; his parents divorced when he was thirteen. He attended St. Teresa's English School before transferring to the American International School due to dissatisfaction with the traditional education system, where he excelled academically. He originally planned to study in the United States and received a scholarship from the American Chamber of Commerce, but chose to pursue a singing career after meeting vocal coach Dai Si Chung, who mentored him and introduced him to PolyGram Records. He debuted in 1995 and quickly achieved success with hit songs such as "Open the Sky" and "Ten Thousand Years." In 1997, he released his first Mandarin album "Heart Has Its Only Love," which opened doors to fame in the Chinese music scene, earning him a nomination for Best New Artist at the Taiwan Golden Melody Awards in 1998. He was also nominated for Best New Performer at the Hong Kong Film Awards in 1996 for the film "Hu Du Men." His career faced challenges due to contract disputes with his record label and former mentor, and he was deeply affected by the death of his close manager in 2000. Between 2003 and 2008, he stopped releasing music due to contract issues and shifted his focus to film and television in mainland China. In 2008, he moved permanently to Beijing after his record label went bankrupt. He returned to prominence in 2013 through his role as Emperor Yuwen Yong in the drama "Prince of Lan Ling."