Is it possible to stay forever young?
They say drinking an “elixir of youth” could do the trick, but a Hong Kong actress appears to have done so without the aid of mystical potions.
Angie Chiu, or Zhao Yazhi, who just celebrated her 65th birthday this month, has reportedly ruled the small screen for more than 45 years — and fans claim she has not aged a day since 1973.
That year, Chiu, then 18, participated in the Miss Hong Kong Pageant (Miss HK), where she placed the third runner-up and saw her career take off.
The Kowloon-born actress starred in her first TV show in 1974.
Four years later, she gained more popularity for her role as Zhou Zhiruo in “The Heaven Sword and the Dragon Saber,” a martial arts series adapted from the novel of wuxia novelist Jin Yong, who came to be known as “China’s Tolkien.”
Chiu, however, is most noted for her leading role as Fung Ching-ching in the period drama “The Bund” (1980), where she starred opposite Chow Yun-fat (Donald Chow) and Lui Leung-wai.
Since then, Chiu has become not only a regular sight on local television but a well-known actress in Taiwan, Macau and mainland China.
Chiu put her career on hold beginning in 1986, a year after she married actor Melvin Wong and a year before she gave birth to their son Wesley, who also became an actor.
She returned to TV in 1991 with “The Chronicles of Emperor Qianlong” and “New Legend of Madame White Snake” in 1992.
From there, Chiu pivoted her career to mainland China, where she also starred in various TV shows and films.
She has recently worked with Zhang Ziyi in “Emperor Phoenix,” which is slated to premiere next year, according to Douban.
In a 2016 interview, Chiu shared her secrets to her youthful appearance.
“First of all, I must have enough sleep,” Chiu told the Shanghai Morning Post. “No matter how late I go to bed, I make sure to get eight to 10 hours of sleep.”
“Second is diet. I drink a glass of fruit juice for breakfast, which is different every day. I choose light food at noon. Of course I get hungry, so afternoon tea is very Important. I also have dinner at night,” she said.
“The table must have soup, the type of which comes according to seasonal ingredients. I also eat rice and I especially like noodles. The reason why I don’t get fat is because I stop eating when I’m 70% full [while eating a meal]. I simply eat lightly.”
Aside from her sleep and diet practices, Chiu also commits to daily exercise following her afternoon tea, breaking a sweat while watching the 6 o’clock news.
However, the actress pointed out that the “most natural” way to stay young is to maintain healthy relationships.
“Take care of each other and learn to appreciate each other,” Chiu said of her husband. “Learn to say thank you.”
Having maintained her youthful looks, it comes as no surprise that Chiu has become an inspiration for many young people.
Feature Images via Xuan (Left), Zhao Yazhi (Right)
