“Our mother wanted to be remembered for who she was: a legendary martial arts queen… a multi-talented, award-winning actress whose film and television career spanned over 60 years, working in Asia and internationally,” her family wrote on Facebook.
Born in Shanghai in 1946, Chung moved to Hong Kong in 1962 and soon gained acclaim as an actor with the release of Come Drink with Me, which is considered one of the best examples of “wuxia” films, a period drama genre that celebrates legendary martial artists of ancient China.
In the film, she plays Golden Swallow, the sister of an important leader who is kidnapped by a group of thugs. Her character, a kung fu master, is sent to rescue her sister.
The film was selected as Hong Kong's entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the 39th Academy Awards, and she launched her career with this film at the age of 19.
In the 1968 sequel, “Geumje,” Jung Eun-sook took on a number of roles, including a fearless prosecutor in a martial arts film.
Her character established the motif of the lone female assassin sent out for revenge, a genre that was a major influence on Quentin Tarantino's box office hits Kill Bill: Volume 1 and Kill Bill: Volume 2.
Chung moved to California in the early 1970s and went on to star in dozens of iconic action heroines during the heyday of Hong Kong martial arts films.
Her biggest role came in 2000 in Ang Lee's wuxia-inspired Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, in which she played the villain Jade Fox. It was one of the first mainstream martial arts films to feature a female lead.
The film was a worldwide hit, earning ten Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. It grossed $128 million at the North American box office, and won an Oscar, a Golden Globe, and a BAFTA for Best Foreign Language Film.
The film became the first foreign-language film to gross more than $100 million worldwide.
Her last role was in Disney's 2020 live-action remake of Mulan, where she played the matchmaker for the eponymous heroine.
Her Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon co-star Michelle Yeoh praised Tseng in a message posted to Instagram. “We will miss your kindness and shining talent,” she wrote.
Since being diagnosed with the disease five years ago, Cheung has chosen not to make her condition public, instead spending time with her four children and grandchildren.
Her family said they have asked that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Brain Support Network (BSN), where she donated her brain.
