Lai Yin-shan won Miss Asia in 1985 and became ATV's most recognizable leading lady. After suffering domestic abuse and infidelity, she divorced in 2000 and raised her child alone, without seeking sympathy. She started at TVB as a supporting actress and spent over 20 years building her craft. Now 62, she runs a jewelry business across the Greater Bay Area, works out three times a week, supports domestic violence charities, and openly dates. Her role in "Non-Fractional Sin" brought her back to citywide attention.
Li Yanshan, 62, has recently become a hot topic again. A scene she performed in a new drama sent TVB’s ratings soaring to their highest level in recent times.
When she won the Miss Asia pageant in 1985, the whole of Hong Kong believed this young woman had a bright future ahead of her. She made her debut at Shaw Brothers, was beautiful, and was a talented actress; ATV promoted her as their leading lady. No one could have imagined that her life would become so difficult later on.
After getting married, domestic violence and her husband’s infidelity came one after another. In 2000, she got divorced and raised her child on her own. She never said a bad word about her ex-husband to anyone, nor did she appear on TV shows to play the victim; instead, she joined TVB and started out as a minor supporting character. She’s been acting ever since—for more than twenty years.
When most people reach their sixties, they start thinking about retirement and enjoying their golden years. Not Li Yanshan. In addition to acting, she runs a jewelry business that has expanded throughout the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. She’s in talks for a new TV series and is also preparing to transition into a producer role.She goes to the gym three times a week without fail. In her sixties, she stands tall with a straight back and is in better shape than many younger people. She has supported anti-domestic violence charity projects and spoken openly about her own experiences. She’s in a relationship with a boyfriend outside the entertainment industry—and she’s open about it, making no attempt to hide it.
It wasn’t until viewers watched *A Crime Beyond Her Station* that it suddenly dawned on them—this woman seemed to have never been confined by any constraints. The fame she enjoyed in her youth, the pain of her marriage, the hardships of being a single mother, and the expectations of what a woman in her sixties should be like—she defied every single one of these labels others had pinned on her.
She once said something to the effect that, by the time you reach this age, you’ve heard far too many people telling you, “You should do this or that.” But when you’ve truly lived half your life and look back, you realize that the paths others have laid out for you are never set in stone—they can always be changed.
Do what you want to do, and work to create the life you want. Live in the way that feels most comfortable to you—only then will this journey through life have been worth it.
