Photo:VCG

Qiong Yao, one of the bestselling Chinese romance writers, died in New Taipei City at the age of 86 on Wednesday. According to the local police and fire department, the writer was found deceased after taking her own life at her residence, Xinhua reported.

The writer was born with the name Chen Zhe in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, in 1938 and moved to Taiwan with her parents in 1949. Under the pseudonym Qiong Yao, she published a series of popular romance fictions since the 1960s.

Qiong Yao is often regarded as one of the most popular romance novelists in the Chinese-speaking world. Many of her novels have been adapted into popular movies or TV series, including My Fair Princess and Fantasies Behind the Pearly Curtain.

Over the course of more than half a century, with 65 romance novels and more than 50 film and television dramas, the pen name Qiong Yao has repeatedly sparked waves of popularity, transforming it into a cultural symbol of an era.

Posts about Qiong Yao's passing have taken over the trending topics on China's X-like platform Sina Weibo on Wednesday. Many netizens have expressed their condolences and grief. Within an hour or so, more than 1 billion views on relevant posts were recorded by Weibo. In a post mourning Qiong Yao's death, one of her loyal readers said she wrote Chinese own Romeo and Juliet.  

Some actors and actresses, including those who had appeared in adaptations of Qiong Yao's novels, have expressed grief or posted tributes on social media accounts.

When hearing the news, actress Ruby Lin was choked up and unable to speak, according to Taiwan-based TVBS. The actress said on Wednesday that Qiong Yao was her first benefactor in life. Lin also posted on Weibo, saying that she was "honored to be Ziwei, Ruping and Xuehua [three roles in Qiong Yao's TV series]."

Lin and actor Alec Su were starred in the TV series My Fair Princess, one of the most-viewed Chinese TV series in history. In his post on Weibo, Su thanked Qiong Yao for starring him in her two TV series, which "leaves a lasting mark in my life." 

Icon across the Straits  

Qiong Yao was a writer with extensive influence on both sides of the Taiwan Straits. Her works are like a bond of emotional resonance, closely connecting the hearts of readers across the Straits. 

She became famous after publishing her first novel Outside the Window in 1963, followed by The Deep Garden and Courtyard and short collection Six Dreams. In 1985, she entered the film and television drama production industry and a number of her works turned into great success on both sides of the Taiwan Straits. TV series including Wan Chun, Plum Blossom Branding and Romance in the Rain have made Qiong Yao a household name in China. Her readership and viewership are predominantly female, owing to her emphasis on the feelings of young women. It also helped Qiong Yao's novels and TV series to become a buzzword from the 1990s to the 2000s.

Despite having passed her peak year, this prolific writer has influenced several generations of Chinese people. 

Chen Wei, a retired manager from a state-owned enterprise in Beijing, also remarked that novels like My Fair Princess and Fire and Rain were immensely popular during her young years. 

"I still remember when I was young and in love, I borrowed a book of Qiong Yao's Fire and Rain from my boyfriend. Her books and films carry the memories of many people, and I hope she rests in peace," Chen said.

Hou Lei, a 25-year-old from South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region who works in the IT industry, told the Global Times that upon hearing the news, his first reaction was that the way she chose to end her life was indeed very much in line with the vibe of her novels. 

Even in her 80s, Qiong was still writing. In July, she released her last novel Plum Blossom Hero Dream in Chinese mainland. 

"It is not very similar to my other novels, but I think it is a very good novel. When I was writing it, it moved me and comforted my broken heart," she said, according to a report from Hainan Daily.

On her Facebook, she posted a suicide note, in which she said that "Do not cry, do not be sad, do not feel sorry for me. I have already 'flitted away'!" In her mind, "flit away" is the favorite phrase, as it represents an independent, relaxed and freeflight - gracefully and lightly. "I have shed the body that is increasingly torturing me, and with elegance, I have turned into a snowflake and flitted away."