Faye Wong, Chinese singer-songwriter and actress
Faye Wong (born Xia Lin on 8 August 1969) is a Hong Kong singer-songwriter and actress, often referred to as the "Diva of Asia". Early in her career she briefly used the stage name Shirley Wong. Born in Beijing, she moved to British Hong Kong in 1987 and came to public attention in the early 1990s by singing in Cantonese, often combining alternative music with mainstream Chinese pop. Since 1994, she has recorded mostly in her native Mandarin. In 2000, she was recognised by Guinness World Records as the Best Selling Canto-Pop Female. Following her second marriage in 2005, she withdrew from the limelight, but returned to the stage in 2010.Hugely popular in Hong Kong, Taiwan, China and Singapore, she has also gained a large following in Japan. In the West she is perhaps best known for starring in Wong Kar-wai's films Chungking Express and 2046. While she has collaborated with international artists such as Cocteau Twins, Wong recorded only a few songs in English, including "Eyes on Me"—the theme song of the video game Final Fantasy VIII. Wong is known to be a "diva with few words" in public, and has gained a reputation for her "cool" personality. In Encyclopedia of Contemporary Chinese Culture, Jeroen de Kloet characterised her as "singer, actress, mother, celebrity, royalty, sex symbol and diva all at the same time". Wong is considered by some as one of East Asia's biggest popstars with a career of over 30 years.