Chow Yun Fat: Hong Kong entertainment icon and G-Dragon's controversial handshake

When presenting the award to G-Dragon, Chow Yun Fat danced to the male singer's song Too Bad, creating an unforgettable moment. However, this also caused a big controversy.

Career and life

Chow Yun Fat was born on May 18, 1955 in Nam Nha Dao, Hong Kong, to a poor family. As a child, he often had to wake up early to help his mother sell snacks on the street, and in the afternoon he had to go to the fields to work. When he was 10 years old, the whole family moved to Kowloon Peninsula, Hong Kong.

At the age of 17, Chow Yun Fat had to drop out of school to help his family with various jobs such as hotel receptionist, postman, camera salesman and taxi driver.

Chow Yun Fat is not only a person who is especially loved by the public but also a great symbol of the cinema with a strong Hong Kong identity. This is affirmed not only by his talent and dedication for more than 40 years on screen, but also by the virtue, personality, temperament, chivalry and rare humility of the "hero" Chow Yun Fat.

In the early 1980s, Hong Kong actors such as Leslie Cheung, Anita Mui, Andy Lau... were all very famous, but only Chow Yun-fat was considered by researchers as a "representative of Hong Kong identity". Because Chow Yun-fat's image was so familiar and genuine that it was like "a neighbor to the public". Hong Kong people considered him as a family member. Film researcher, Dr. Lin Feng, commented: "Chow Yun-fat is present in the daily life of Hong Kong people in a friendly way. Chow Yun-fat's charm is closely related to his closeness to people. Hong Kong people no longer distinguish between a Chow Yun-fat on screen and a Chow Yun-fat in real life. Chow Yun-fat is an unspoken local symbol for the people of Hong Kong".

Not only did he leave his mark on all the important turning points of Hong Kong cinema, Chow Yun Fat also inspired Hong Kong people from all walks of life to rise up in society. In Hong Kong, Chow Yun Fat is considered a rare spiritual symbol when both the rich and the poor feel that he can represent and belong to their class. Through his way of life, his efforts in each stage of his life, and his diverse career, actor Chow Yun Fat also contributed to the "trans-class revolution" in Hong Kong. His example in his way of life and behavior encouraged the ordinary working class to get rich fairly and the middle class to rise up to become the elite to bring many community benefits to Hong Kong.

Although he shines internationally, he always thinks of people with unfortunate and difficult lives. Chow Yun Fat donated all of his assets of 742 million USD (more than 17,000 billion VND) that he created to the poor, and lived a simple life in harmony with everyone with a phone that is more than 10 years old, wearing slippers, lining up to buy discounted items, eating at sidewalk restaurants, and being simple. It can be said that he is one of the typical characters who contributed to creating "Hong Kong Pride". He shared sincerely: "That money is not ours. When we come to this world, we have nothing, so when we leave, we will not be able to take anything with us. Money is not easy to earn, so when we use it, we must use it for the right purpose. There are so many people on the street who have no food or clothes, what am I doing living in luxury?" That is the heart and charity of the "great hero" who understands the impermanence of life. Meanwhile, around Hong Kong, the vast Mainland and in this world, there are still too many people - including famous artists, rich people - but "poor" to the point that their minds only think and depend completely on money - and nothing else.

In appreciation of Chow Yun Fat's character and contributions, the University of Hong Kong awarded him an Honorary Doctorate in 2001. In 2003, a new chapter on Chow Yun Fat's career was included in all textbooks in Hong Kong. He is the only Hong Kong artist to have received this honor. The Hong Kong Education Department believes that Chow Yun Fat's "hard work", "modesty", "filial piety", "lifelong learning spirit", "self-improvement ability" and "integrity" have made him a role model for young people, students and pupils.

Although he plays an important role and has a great influence on Hong Kong cinema, when mentioning Chow Yun Fat, we are mentioning a star with a rare simple lifestyle, the public even calls him the King of the Common People. People often see Chow Yun Fat riding the subway like a common worker, wearing slippers, dressing simply, going to the market, lining up to buy discounted items and eating at restaurants for workers. Anyone can take pictures, chat with Chow Yun Fat, he has never shown aloofness or a star attitude towards the public and his fans. He believes that he belongs to the common people and is sincerely grateful to the audience. Actor Chow Yun Fat is also a rare big star in Asia who does not own a luxury car and does not hold lavish parties.

The controversial handshake

The 2025 MAMA Awards took place on November 28 and 29, right after a massive fire in Hong Kong that destroyed eight buildings, leaving hundreds dead and missing. The fact that the event went ahead as planned has caused great controversy among the public.

iMBC (Korea) called this a "shameful act", saying that the organizers' failure to postpone the event showed a lack of sensitivity to public sentiment and put the artist in an awkward situation. Many viewers expressed their agreement.

To show respect, the organizers canceled the familiar red carpet and asked the artists to keep a serious face when appearing in public.

However, the interaction between Chow Yun Fat and G-Dragon on the night of November 29th caused controversy to erupt. In the opening, Chow Yun Fat appeared in a black suit, took a minute to remember the victims, choked up while expressing condolences, and even almost cried at times. The audience continuously encouraged him.

Just a few minutes later, when he presented the Artist of the Year award to G-Dragon, his mood changed dramatically. The veteran star happily jumped up and down while waiting for his junior to take the stage.

The two artists laughed loudly, held hands and hugged each other as they left the stage. The moment quickly went viral, attracting more than 50 million views and many angry comments.

The audience immediately questioned the regulation that limited artists from smiling or showing excitement, which was announced by the MAMA Organizing Committee before the event to show respect for the victims of the fire. Others wondered why the actor still appeared despite the previous announcement that he might be absent.

The controversy intensified when many pointed out that Chow Yun Fat had not been recognized for donating to support the victims' families, while many Hong Kong, mainland and Korean artists were quick to contribute. The issue of "artists' behavior during sensitive times" continued to be discussed.

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