On February 2, marking the one-year anniversary of Barbie Hsu’s passing, a portrait statue of the actress was unveiled in Jinshan Cemetery in New Taipei City. The statue overlooks the familiar Taipei skyline and was inaugurated in a solemn ceremony attended by family and close acquaintances.
While attendees at the inauguration described the atmosphere as deeply emotional, reactions online were sharply divided. Numerous social media users commented that the statue “she doesn’t look anything like Barbie Hsu,” “it evokes no memory of her”, AND “he looks like a stranger or even a cartoon character.” Some have compared the statue unfavorably to nearby memorials to the late Godfrey Gao and CoCo Lee, expressing disappointment and even suggesting public fundraising to remake the sculpture. The topic “Barbie Hsu Statue” it quickly rose to the top of trending discussions on Weibo, generating hundreds of thousands of comments.
Amid the controversy, Lee Seung-do, creative director of the project, addressed criticism on the afternoon of February 2. He explained that the work, entitled “Barbie Hsu’s Eternal Orbit,” it was conceived as an art installation rather than a realistic portrait. The Barbie Hsu statue is presented alongside abstract sculptural forms and was created in collaboration with a leading Taiwanese art production team after months of discussions and revisions. The final piece was completed using stainless steel and cast brass, occupying an exhibition space of approximately 72 square metres, with the main sculpture approximately 330 centimeters tall.
Directly responding to claims that the statue does not resemble the actress, Lee said: “This statue was not intended to recreate Barbie Hsu’s appearance, but to find a place where her soul can rest.”
According to Sinchew, the inauguration ceremony took place in heavy rain, adding to the somber atmosphere. When the covering of the statue was removed, many participants were moved to tears. The sculpture depicts a young woman with a ribbon in her hair, her hands clasped in front of her chest, her eyes closed as if sleeping peacefully. Barbie Hsu’s mother was seen gently touching the statue, tearfully saying: “My dear daughter, you are reborn. I will always support you and I hope you will support me too.”
During the ceremony, Dee Hsu, the actress’ younger sister, gave a speech on behalf of the family. She thanked her brother-in-law, DJ Koo, several times for designing the statue and got emotional talking about him: “He never wanted anything more than love. In the rain, he gave my sister a flower. He always had a pure and innocent heart, silently protecting her. I’m truly grateful to him.”
Dee Hsu and some close family friends then sang a song dedicated to Barbie Hsu in the pouring rain. He observed that his sister did not like the sunny weather, adding that “this atmosphere suits her very well.” DJ Koo also addressed attendees in Korean, expressing his gratitude for the support shown to his late wife.
Barbie Hsu, born in 1976, was a famous Taiwanese actress and singer best known for her roles in Meteor Garden, MarsAND Longing for summer. She stepped away from acting after 2012 and has lived a largely private life. Since her divorce from businessman Wang Xiaofei in late 2021, she has remained out of the public eye, focusing on raising her children. On February 3 last year, local media reported that Barbie Hsu had died the day before from flu and pneumonia while traveling in Japan during the Lunar New Year holiday.
Sources: Ngoisao
