Wazzup Pilipinas!?
Sudden breaking news came out on the morning of February 2, 2025, in the Philippines, when information went viral in public and on social media, stating that Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu, lovingly known by Filipinos as "Shan Cai" in the hit Taiwanese series Meteor Garden, had passed away.
The news sent shockwaves not only in the Philippines but in Asia as various news outlets across the continent reported the story as it unfolded. Social media went into frenzy with a lot of Filipino fans posting their sentiments, mostly from those who were avid fans of the Meteor Garden series.
A lot of her fans were in disbelief, with some calling it fake news or a hoax. The information then came from Hsu's sister, Dee Hsu, confirming in a statement via media outlet Taiwan Focus that her sister had died of Influenza-induced Pneumonia while on a trip to Japan for the Lunar New Year.
Barbie Hsu left behind her 2 children, a 10-year-old daughter and an 8-year-old son, with ex-husband Wang Xiao Fei. Hsu married for the second time to a South Korean artist, DJ Koo Jun Yup, in 2022, whom she dated around 20 years ago.
The rise to superstardom came when Barbie starred in the Meteor Garden Taiwanese series that first aired in 2001. She was paired with another rising actor at that time, Jerry Yan, together with Vic Zhou, Vaness Wu and Ken Chu, popularly known in the show as the group, F4.
The series became a successful hit and had a special feature, Meteor Rain, including a sequel, Meteor Garden 2, that was briefly filmed in Barcelona, Spain. ABS-CBN brought the content to Filipino households in 2003, which ultimately became a massive success as it became a beloved series in the Philippines.
The era when social media is not that known yet, and the time when smartphones and the internet are not a big thing. Filipino fans from almost every household and people in the streets tune in regularly during weekdays when the show aired on its original 3 PM timeslot and moved to the 5:30 PM schedule before the evening newscast, TV Patrol.
Filipinos loved the show's dynamic, wherein Barbie portrayed a hardworking, strong-willed and bubbly girl-student named Shan Cai from a poor family who studied at the notoriously rich and famous exclusive Ying De University. Her bravery to stand up for the weak caught the attention of the university's richest student-group, F4.
Dao Ming Si, Jerry Yan's character, leader of the F4 group, made life miserable for Shan Cai for her defiance and ability to stand up to him—ultimately appreciating her attitude and developing love for her.
The show's popularity in the country led to a memorable tour in 2003 when Barbie Hsu visited the country for a concert in Manila. Jerry Yan followed suit in the coming years and even landed an endorsement for a popular Filipino clothing line. Together, the pair became household names in the Philippines.
Barbie Hsu kickstarted the long hair pigtail trend during that time when almost all girls in the country emulated Shan Cai. The term Batang 90s kids came to life when news of Barbie's sudden death shocked the entire nation.
Fans turned to social media to remember the nostalgia where smartphones and the internet are not yet a thing. The time when fans waited for every episode as there were no streaming platforms available at that time.
It truly was a defining period for the country when Shan Cai conquered the television of millions of Filipino households and gave birth to the "Meteor Garden Fever". The nation is mourning the loss of not just the actress but the character Shan Cai, who greatly represented the modern Filipino—resilient and strong as ever.
Shan Cai created a lasting legacy that popular songs from the show such as "Qing Fei De Yi" and "Ni Yao De Ai" became a hit for Filipinos, even though there is a language barrier and understanding of the Taiwanese lyrics. Barbie's passing will now give a whole new feeling when listening to these songs.
My sister and I, who collaboratively worked to create this article, vividly remember our late Grandmother "Inay Puring", who was a huge fan of the show, especially Dao Ming Si and Shan Cai.
The usual cozy afternoon of 2003 became a bonding moment for the three of us whenever she opened the television for us to watch Meteor Garden together.
Nostalgia briefly came back in 2014 when ABS-CBN aired a re-run to celebrate the 10th year of the original airing. The afternoon bonding was rekindled as we watched together on our old hunchback SANYO TV.
Now that Shan Cai is gone, we are heartbroken by the fact that a huge part of our childhood has also been removed. She is indeed a huge puzzle of what we have become now—always a believer, never a quitter.
As we say goodbye to Shan Cai and ultimately to Barbie Hsu, who defined our generation. We will make sure that her memory remains alive and well. The memorabilia that we kept, including her album and signature fan, will be safeguarded.
Shan Cai, we will stand by your grit and defiance of any challenges. We will emulate your kindness to your family and will never give up on love.
The next meteor shower will never be the same again as we thought of you every single time it shines in the sky. Good night, Shan Cai. Rest well with Angels. Mahal ka namin—forever.
Written by: Renz Delim and Rizzle Meco Delim
Screen grab credits: jerryyan143, barbiehsu.fp and kenchu9 INSTAGRAM
Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
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