Renowned Hong Kong martial artist and action choreographer Yuen Shiang Yan passed away suddenly due to illness on January 1, 2026, at the age of 69. His widow confirmed the sad news, revealing that Yuen Shiang Yan passed away at Elizabeth Hospital in the afternoon of January 1, sending shockwaves through the Hong Kong entertainment industry.
Yuen Shiang Yan, coming from a family deeply rooted in martial arts, was a core member of the “Yuen Clan,” with his father being the famous martial artist Yuen Hsiao Tien, and his older brother being the acclaimed “Number One Martial Arts Choreographer in the World,” Yuen Woo Ping. Yuen Shiang Yan once joked, “Everyone says Yuen Woo Ping is the number one martial arts choreographer in the world, so if I’m second, does that make me the second best in the world?”
A significant figure in Hong Kong’s golden era of cinema, Yuen Shiang Yan was involved in the action choreography of over a hundred film and television works, winning the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Action Choreography for the movie “Once Upon a Time in China.” In the late 1990s, he ventured to Hollywood with Yuen Woo Ping, contributing to the martial arts design of various Marvel works such as “Daredevil” and “Charlie’s Angels.”
Apart from his behind-the-scenes work, Yuen Shiang Yan also frequently appeared on screen. He portrayed a beggar selling martial arts secrets in Stephen Chow’s film “Kung Fu Hustle,” transformed into the beggar “Hong Ri Qing” in “The Legend of Drunken Master,” cross-dressed as the wife of the King in “Royal Tramp,” played “Master Lin” in “Tai Chi Master,” and depicted a detective in “Fist of Legend,” leaving a lasting impression. Particularly known for his portrayal of beggar-type characters, he was jokingly referred to as the “professional beggar.”
According to the obituary released by Yuen Shiang Yan’s wife, his funeral is scheduled for February 1 at the Mundell Hall on the 3rd floor of the World Funeral Parlour. The sudden news of his passing has shaken the Hong Kong film industry, with renowned director Lee Lik Chi mourning on Weibo, saying, “Forever in memory, Master Yuen Shiang Yan,” and expressing gratitude for his outstanding contributions to the film industry.