Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu, widely known across Asia for her leading role in the 2001 television drama Meteor Garden, has died from a respiratory illness, local media reported on Monday. She was 48.
Hsu passed away after developing pneumonia during a family trip to Japan over the Lunar New Year holiday, according to her younger sister.
“My dearest and kindest sister Barbie Hsu sadly left us due to influenza complications that led to pneumonia,” she said in a statement shared by her agent and reported by the semi-official Central News Agency.

“I’m grateful to have been her sister in this lifetime, to take care of each other and accompany each other. I will forever be thankful to her and miss her.”
Hsu’s death quickly became the top trending topic on China’s Weibo platform on Monday.
Fans from Taiwan, the Philippines, and other countries paid tribute to the actress on social media.
Chinese actor Huang Xiaoming, who co-starred with Hsu in another Taiwanese drama, said he was “in shock and deep grief” over her passing.
“I’ve heard that truly brilliant souls are never dimmed by time—they remain vibrant, like bubbles shining in the sun,” Huang wrote on Weibo.
Filipino fan Edmalyn Canton shared on Facebook: “Thank you for bringing joy to my childhood. You will always be my favourite version of Meteor Garden and will forever be remembered.”
Taiwanese celebrity Stacy Hsu also paid tribute, writing on Facebook: “Her beauty and intelligence will forever remain in our hearts.”
Animal rights group PETA said it was “heartbroken” over Hsu’s death, noting she was “one of the first and biggest stars” to support the organisation.
Hsu and her younger sister Dee rose to fame in the 1990s as a pop duo before transitioning to television presenting and acting.
Her breakthrough role as Dong Shan Cai in Meteor Garden propelled her to stardom across Asia. The drama, based on a Japanese manga series, followed an ordinary girl navigating life at an elite university. It was later remade in China and is now available on Netflix.
Although her acting career waned in recent years, Hsu remained in the public eye through reality TV appearances and media coverage of her personal life.
Hsu married Chinese businessman Wang Xiaofei in 2010, and the couple had two children before divorce in 2021.
The following year, she rekindled a past romance and married South Korean DJ and singer Koo Jun-yup.