Ms Yu So Chow

1930-2017

Actress

Actress and Cantonese opera artist Yu So Chow was born Yu Siu Yuen to a family of actors. Her father was the famous Peking opera virtuoso Yu Zhanyuan. She began her training in female warrior roles aged eight and made her debut a year later, performing northern-style martial arts. In the Peking opera The Legend of the White Snake, Yu wowed the audience by kicking 12 flying red-tasselled spears consecutively. She also learned the art of sword wielding from maestro Mei Lanfang. Yu’s cinematic career began in 1948, and her works included Mandarin films such as The Revenge of the Great Swordsman (1949) and The Thirteen That Go Astray (1951). In total, Yu acted in some 200 titles, 170 of which were martial arts movies. Among the most memorable ones are The Three Chivalrous Girls of the Northeast (1961), The Secret Book (1961), Burning of the Red Lotus Monastery, Parts One and Two, (1963), The Azure Blood and the Golden Pin, Part One and Conclusion (1963) and the popular “Buddha’s Palm” series. Yu also appeared in Cantonese opera films such as The Invincible Yeung Generals (1961), crime thrillers like House Number 13 (1960) and action movies such as the “Wong Ang the Heroine” series. In 1966, Yu married Cantonese opera virtuoso Mak Bing Wing and retired from the limelight. Yu lived in the United States until her death in 2017.