This set of old photos, often misinterpreted as “unresolved grievances,” holds memories of a unique period in Hong Kong’s entertainment industry. As a veteran Hong Kong entertainer, Wang Mingquan was sidelined by TVB in 1988 for publicly supporting a patriotic group. At the peak of her career, she suddenly plummeted from her status as a “diva” to rock bottom. At the time, Shi Xiu had skyrocketed to fame playing Hua Wuque in *The Legend of the Condor Heroes*, yet when she was at her most vulnerable, he pushed open the door…
Backstage at TVB in 1993. Wang Mingquan, who had just finished her first performance since her comeback, suddenly crouched down on the floor, clutching Shi Xiu’s sleeve, as tears fell onto the worn carpet:
“I’m afraid the audience has forgotten me.”
Backstage at the awards ceremony thirty years later, she was 71, with gray streaks at her temples but a bright sparkle in her eyes; he was 69, with a slightly hunched back but a gentle smile. The way they pressed their palms together felt even more secure than it had all those years ago.
A Photo That Unfolds the Folds of Time
This set of old photos, often misinterpreted as “hard to accept,” holds memories of a unique period in Hong Kong’s entertainment industry. As a veteran Hong Kong entertainer, Wang Mingquan was sidelined by TVB in 1988 for publicly supporting a patriotic group. At the height of her career, she suddenly fell from her status as a “diva” to rock bottom.
At the time, Shi Xiu had skyrocketed to fame for her role as Hua Wuque in *The Peerless Duo*, yet when she was at her most desperate, she pushed open the door to the makeup room—which was swarming with reporters—and handed her a cup of hot milk tea: “Tomorrow,
I’ll go with you to do those commercial gigs at the docks.”
