section_path: Death
section_name: Death
paragraph_text: Death
  
  I don't wish for a very long life, but as long as I'm alive, I want to be beautiful every single day.
  
  No matter what challenges I face, I know I can keep going, because I truly believe the world after death is beautiful. So whenever something happens, I just think, “Well, worst case, I die.“ And that actually makes me happy, because that means I've fulfilled my deepest wish.
  
  I came into this world to live life on fast-forward. In this lifetime, I am meant to experience what others would in eight. Once I have lived it all, I won't need to return in the next.
  
  On 29 January 2025, during the Chinese New Year holiday, Hsu traveled with her family to Japan. She died in Tokyo on 2 February from influenza-related pneumonia, at the age of 48.
  
  News of Hsu's death was first strongly hinted at by a Hong Kong travel influencer on Facebook on 2 February, assumably informed by the Hsu family's tour guide in Japan. Speculation intensified after Wang Xiaofei changed his Douyin profile picture to solid black, interpreted as a sign of mourning. Skepticism persisted, however, due to seemingly normal social media activities from Hsu's family and friends, notably an Instagram video posted by Dee on the night of 1 February showing her and their mother dancing to the viral Vietnamese song "Không Sao Cả" and a celebratory Instagram story shared by Blackie Chen early on 2 February after Christine Fan 's Macao concert. Dee deleted the video nine hours later on the day of Hsu's death, while Chen and Fan were seen at the Macao airport on the morning of 3 February en route back to Taiwan. After a day of intense public speculation, Dee, on behalf of the Hsu family, confirmed Barbie's death in a statement released through her agent to Taiwanese media at approximately 10:30 a.m. on 3 February: “Over the Chinese New Year period, our family traveled to Japan for a holiday, and my most beloved, kindest elder sister Shi-yuan caught influenza-related pneumonia and has unfortunately left us. I am thankful to be her sister in this life, and grateful that we have taken care of each other and kept each other company all these years. I will always be thankful to her and remember her. Shan, rest in peace. We love you always. Together remember forever. ”
  
  According to a widely circulated but unverified account of her final days in Japan, reportedly leaked by the Hsu family's local guide on Xiaohongshu, Hsu contracted influenza in late January while still in Taiwan. Despite her condition, she proceeded with the planned trip, which was part of the Hsu family's annual Chinese New Year tradition. Upon arriving in Japan on January 29, her symptoms quickly worsened, and she began experiencing coughing and asthma-like symptoms. That evening, she traveled to Hakone but remained confined to her room on January 30 and 31. On the second night, she was transported to a hospital by ambulance but was not admitted for further treatment and was returned to her accommodation later that night. On February 1, as her condition continued to deteriorate, she was examined at a small clinic and subsequently referred to a larger hospital, where she was diagnosed with Influenza A. However, she was only prescribed medication and sent back to rest. In the early hours of February 2, after showing signs of severe distress, she was rushed to a hospital in Tokyo for a fourth emergency visit. Despite resuscitation efforts, she was pronounced dead at 7:00 a.m. that morning. Hsu had a final phone call with Christine Fan before her respirator was removed. Present at her deathbed were her family—including her two children, husband, mother, sisters, their children (except Dee's eldest daughter, who was studying in the United States), and brothers-in-law—as well as longtime friends Pace Wu, who has based partly in Japan since her partner Ji Xiaobo became a fugitive following a criminal conviction by a Beijing court, and Janet Chia, who was vacationing in Japan and managed to see Hsu one last time after learning of her critical condition.
  
  Following the death announcement, the Facebook page of the influencer who first broke the news was taken down amid backlash over the premature and attention-seeking disclosure. The Hsu family also faced criticism over their dancing video posted hours before Hsu's death, filmed in their room at the Peninsula Tokyo, which some viewed as indicative of negligence toward Hsu's critical condition, though it is unclear whether the footage was recorded earlier or at the time of posting. Fan and Chen were targeted by online speculation that they had infected Hsu with influenza at a post-wedding homecoming banquet for Wang Wei-Zhong's daughter on 15 January, which was Hsu's final public appearance, a claim Fan refuted by sharing her chat history with a doctor. Fan, who was primarily educated in the United States, also drew criticism for using a similar but wrong Chinese character for Hsu's nickname, Shan, in one of her mourning posts later.
  
  Media ethics concerns were raised over the reporting of Hsu's death. On the afternoon of 3 February, Wang Wei-Zhong, the sisters’ former manager and a close family friend, issued a statement on behalf of the Hsu family: “Throughout her life, Shi-yuan was most anxious about being chased by reporters, as it could be very dangerous. Her mother earnestly appeals to everyone: when the family brings Shi-yuan back to Taiwan, please refrain from filming or taking photos inside or outside the airport, and do not follow them on the road. This was a lifelong wish that Shi-yuan was never able to realize. We deeply hope for your understanding.” Taiwan's National Communications Commission (NCC) urged the media to respect the feelings of the bereaved and to avoid sensationalism in their reporting of Hsu's death. In response, Taiwanese media, which generally maintain close relationships with the Hsu family, launched a self-regulation initiative, designating only one television station to film at the Songshan Airport, under the agreement that footage would be captured without approaching the family and shared with all outlets, though some media organizations violated the agreement by dispatching reporters to obtain exclusive coverage. On the evening of 3 February, two of Dee's daughters returned to Taipei ahead of the rest of the family, whose travel plans were carefully managed to avoid further media attention. Hsu's remains were cremated that night in accordance with Japanese law, which requires cremation within two to three days of death—unlike Taiwan's typical memorial period of ten to twenty days. Hsu's mother was initially expected to return on the afternoon of 4 February but did not, apparently to divert and minimize media attention at the airport; the family later clarified that no travel plans would be made public. Hsu's ashes—carried in a pink urn—were returned to Taiwan on a flight chartered by Dee on 5 February. The family avoided photographers by exiting through the airport's VIP channels.
  
  On the evening of 3 February, Hsu's ex-husband, Wang Xiaofei, who claimed to have suffered a breakdown, along with a recurrence of depression and worsening bipolar disorder following Hsu's death, arrived in Taipei with his wife, Mandy Ma, from their Chinese New Year holiday in Thailand to await the Hsu family, as Wang did not have a Japanese visa. At the airport, Wang pleaded with the press to “say more good things about her,” drawing backlash for his central role in generating negative publicity surrounding Hsu in her final years. He was later seen walking home in the rain for half an hour in Taipei. However, a reporter subsequently alleged that Wang's nanny van had already returned from the airport via a back alley to avoid the press but was spotted by a news vehicle stationed outside his residence. This raised speculation that Wang may have either asked to be dropped off early to walk the final stretch or exited through the back after returning home in an attempt to elicit public sympathy, though neither scenario has been verified. The same evening, shortly before Hsu's cremation, Wang phoned and sharply attacked Hsu's mother for what he viewed as the family's negligence—including undertaking long-distance travel while Hsu was ill and posting a dancing video just hours before her death—a criticism he reiterated in the days that followed. On 4 February, Wang left emotional messages on Douyin clips of the marriage reality show Happiness Trio featuring him and Hsu, including "My wife, I miss you" and "I'm the one who should be dead," before he deleted them, while Ma, in her first interview after marrying Wang in May 2024, urged the public and media to stop “cyberbullying” them and clarified that she and Hsu had maintained a good relationship for the sake of the children. On 7 February, Hsu's widower, Koo Jun-yup, issued a statement, relinquishing his share of spousal legacy to Hsu's mother while vowed to protect the shares of Hsu's two children. He also condemned Wang for "pretending to be sad while walking in the rain", saying “eople are trying to tarnish my family by spreading false rumors about the insurance and expenses, causing pain to our family," referring to the misinformation that Wang had paid for the chartered flight bringing Hsu's ashes from Japan to Taiwan and that Koo had taken out a large life insurance policy on Hsu. "It's terrifying to realize that such cruel people really exist in this world,” Koo wrote.
  
  Following her death, an online debate emerged over whether Hsu could have been saved if Wang had been present—an assertion he made privately to the Hsu family and implied publicly—given his prior experience in managing her health crises, which Hsu publicly acknowledged as having saved her life “many times”; his public concerns over her possible death due to her fragile health which her family downplayed after their divorce; and his more assertive, intense personality compared to the rest of her family, including her second husband, where Hsu typically took the lead. Hsu's agent, Angelina Liao, who was previously sued by Wang for defamation during the divorce dispute before the case was dismissed, stated that Hsu's mother considered Hsu's three-year marriage to Koo “the happiest time” of her life, and described Wang as a "good father" but had never truly "let go of" Hsu. Hsu's mother conveyed Hsu's final wish to Wang—to "let go of the love and hate" between them—while later also implying that Hsu's marriage to Wang had been a “ten-year mistreatment.”
  
  Hsu's sudden death led to a surge in demand for influenza vaccinations in Taiwan and other parts of Asia, and prompted reflection on Japan's healthcare system—particularly its strict tiered structure, which requires patients to first visit primary care clinics before being referred to specialists or larger hospitals, as well as its general reluctance to admit foreigners who do not speak Japanese. On 24 May 2025, in a video address at the opening of Guangzhou Science and Technology Week, Zhong Nanshan cited Hsu's death to stress the importance of timely flu treatment.
  
  An outpouring of memorials followed her death across Asia. On 5 February, K-pop singer Sandara Park, who started her career in the Philippines at the height of Hsu's Meteor Garden fame, performed the song "Ni Yao De Ai" (你要的愛) from Meteor Garden 's OST in Hsu's honor during Taiwan's Kaohsiung New Year's Eve Party. On 14 February, Taiwanese singer and actor Show Lo performed "Ai Zhuan Jiao" (愛轉角), the theme song of Corner With Love (2007), in which he starred alongside Hsu, at his Tokyo concert in her honor. On February 15, K-pop singer Rain led his audience in observing a 10-second moment of silence at his Kaohsiung concert in her honor, referring to her as "sister-in-law" as he is a sworn brother of Koo. On 22 February, Malaysian singer Penny Tai, the singer-songwriter of "Ni Yao De Ai", performed the song in Hsu's honor at her Shanghai concert. On 15 March, Christine Fan dedicated to Hsu performances of "One is the Fall, the Other is the Summer" (一個像夏天一個像秋天) and "Those Flowers" (那些花兒) at a compilation concert in Nanning, and "Can We Not Be Brave" (可不可以不勇敢), whose music video features Fan and the Hsu sisters, at the opening concert of her tour in Shanghai. Xiao Bing, brother of Da Bing (Tony Fish), released a memorial song, "Shanshan" (珊珊), which is her pet name among family and close friends, in April 2025. Other celebrities who mourned her included Peter Ho, Jacky Wu, Rainie Yang, Lin Chi-ling, Louis Koo, Andy Lau, Michelle Yeoh, as well as her Meteror Garden co-stars F4 and the manga artist Yoko Kamio, author of the original comic series Hana Yori Dango. More joined in remembrance on May 9, the 100th day after Hsu's death, when Dee commemorated her on Instagram by launching a social media movement inviting people to share the one thing they missed most about Hsu or the way she had most influenced their lives.
  
  Hsu's death received a notably muted response from public figures in mainland China—where Huang Xiaoming, her Summer's Desire co-star, and Mao Buyi, a fan of Dee who referred to Barbie as “the elder sister I never met,” were the only two celebrities who publicly paid tribute, while Wang Ou did so on her private Instagram—possibly due to the polarizing and often politicized nature of her ongoing divorce battle at the time of her death. In contrast, Hsu's death was notable for the emotional reaction it provoked among the general public in and beyond China. The collective sense of loss was attributed to the strong parasocial bonds she had fostered with viewers and, through subsequent public discourse and media analysis, helped popularize the psychological concept in Asia. A Nasdaq MarketSite billboard tribute to Hsu in New York's Times Square was sponsored by a Chinese fan, while plazas and shopping malls across China, either independently or through sponsorships, displayed memorial messages on their billboards. Raffles City Shanghai was reportedly flagged and removed its memorial messages, including Hsu's 2013 Weibo post written two years into her first marriage—“I must find myself again. So should you.”— ahead of International Women's Day, a time when Chinese authorities are particularly sensitive to feminist messaging. However, China Central Place in Beijing also featured the quote as part of its International Women's Day celebrations. A memorial bench for Hsu in London's Cavendish Square Gardens was funded through a fan-initiated GoFundMe campaign, with support from the fan group that had earlier organized a bench for Khalil Fong, who died shortly after Hsu.
  
  My sister has always been my support since we were little. Whenever I faced something I was afraid to do, she'd say: "Dee Hsu, you're such a coward!" That was her way of encouraging me. She was always the first person I'd turn to about anything in my life—because I needed her advice, and I needed her encouragement. When I got pregnant, I called her. Before I could even say anything, she said: "You're pregnant, aren't you?" Then she immediately started thinking about how to keep Mom from freaking out. When I was unemployed and feeling down, trying to pretend I could just be a housewife, she told me: "Dee Hsu, why are you pretending you don't want to be a star?" And she encouraged me to keep hosting. There are still so many things I want to ask her about. I also really want to hug her—the one who always acted so strong but was actually very fragile inside. Shan, I really have to pull myself together now, because Mom misses you so much. I miss you so much too. But I have to take good care of Mom. If I don't, you'd probably say: "Dee Hsu, how old are you and you still don't know how to take care of Mom?" Everyone tells me I need to move on, but I don't want to go anywhere—because you'll always be in my heart. Always, until the day we meet again.
  
  No memorial was held by Hsu's family, in accordance with her preference to "keep a low profile." On February 8, the first seventh-day memorial (頭七) after Hsu's death, family and friends gathered at her home under the theme of her “third wedding anniversary,” sharing cake and champagne and refraining from tears, honoring her farewell wishes. On February 9, Dee updated her Instagram for the first time since her sister's death, posting a photo of a gold hair clip with a pearl bow. The image was interpreted either as a keepsake that had belonged to Barbie or as part of the mourning attire traditionally worn by women under Korean funeral customs. Hsu's mother expressed an intention to pursue custody of Hsu's two children but abandoned the effort due to limited legal prospects. She later accused Wang of cutting off the children's contact with the Hsu family, a claim refuted by Wang's wife, Ma, who cited chat records regarding visitation arrangements.
  
  Hsu was initially announced to have a tree burial in accordance with her wishes, but was later laid to rest at the Rose Garden of Chin Pao San Cemetery in New Taipei City, as her widower, Koo, sought to provide a memorial site for family and friends. The specific location of her grave is not disclosed; instead, a sculpture designed by Koo will be installed in the cemetery's celebrity area for public visitation. After her ashes were returned from Japan, Hsu's urn was first kept at home, during which Koo prepared three meals daily featuring her favorite dishes, placing them before the urn in accordance with Korean jesa offerings and performing kneeling bows. The urn was later moved to a temporary columbarium niche at the Sunlight Garden of Chin Pao San Cemetery. The funeral took place on 15 March, amidst heavy rainfall. Koo, accompanied by Mike Xu's elder sister, entered the Sunlight Garden to retrieve the urn, while Hsu's mother, following the custom that elders do not attend the burials of younger family members, remained in a vehicle with her younger daughter, Dee. Koo then carried the urn to the family car, which proceeded to the Rose Garden, where a white tent had been erected to ensure the ceremony's privacy. Despite the custom, Hsu's mother chose to enter the tent, remaining for approximately 40 minutes before the interment was completed by cemetery staff. The funeral was attended only by family members; Hsu's former husband, Wang, and their two children were not present, which Wang's wife, Ma, stated was because they were not informed of it.
  
  Hsu's estate, estimated at NT$600 million, were settled in early March and equally divided among Koo and her two children, both of whom would stay in Taipei despite Wang and Ma, the children's father and stepmother, primarily live in Beijing. Koo, who had pledged his inheritance to Hsu's mother, reportedly accepted the tentative arrangement as the right to inheritance is not transferrable under Taiwanese law. Since Hsu's children are still minors, their inheritance shares and guardianship will be managed by their biological father, Wang, until they reach adulthood. Nevertheless, Taiwanese paparazzo Ryan Ko, who is associated with Wang, claimed that at the time of Hsu's death, she had a bank balance of only 1.33 million RMB—an amount purportedly disclosed to him during court proceedings in the defamation lawsuit brought against him by the Hsu sisters a year ago—a low balance that was a motivating factor behind Hsu's legal action against Wang. Ko revealed that both of Hsu's properties were under mortgage, and that the Taipei Shin-yi residence, where Hsu and Koo lived, had additionally been used as collateral for a loan related to the S Hotel, effectively placing her estate under significant financial encumbrance. Ko also echoed online rumors that the Hsu family had concealed or sold Hsu's jewelry collection, suggesting it was a tactic to shield assets from Wang, the legal guardian of the inheriting child—a claim the Hsu family denied.
  
  Hsu spoke about death throughout her career, shaped by her early struggles with depression and a host of health issues she had after marriage, including several near-death experiences, embodying a philosophical and completely at-ease outlook. At the time of her death, her WeChat signature read: "Death is inevitable."
  
  I don't wish for a very long life, but as long as I'm alive, I want to be beautiful every single day.
  
  No matter what challenges I face, I know I can keep going, because I truly believe the world after death is beautiful. So whenever something happens, I just think, “Well, worst case, I die.“ And that actually makes me happy, because that means I've fulfilled my deepest wish.
  
  I came into this world to live life on fast-forward. In this lifetime, I am meant to experience what others would in eight. Once I have lived it all, I won't need to return in the next.
  
  On 29 January 2025, during the Chinese New Year holiday, Hsu traveled with her family to Japan. She died in Tokyo on 2 February from influenza-related pneumonia, at the age of 48.
  
  News of Hsu's death was first strongly hinted at by a Hong Kong travel influencer on Facebook on 2 February, assumably informed by the Hsu family's tour guide in Japan. Speculation intensified after Wang Xiaofei changed his Douyin profile picture to solid black, interpreted as a sign of mourning. Skepticism persisted, however, due to seemingly normal social media activities from Hsu's family and friends, notably an Instagram video posted by Dee on the night of 1 February showing her and their mother dancing to the viral Vietnamese song "Không Sao Cả" and a celebratory Instagram story shared by Blackie Chen early on 2 February after Christine Fan 's Macao concert. Dee deleted the video nine hours later on the day of Hsu's death, while Chen and Fan were seen at the Macao airport on the morning of 3 February en route back to Taiwan. After a day of intense public speculation, Dee, on behalf of the Hsu family, confirmed Barbie's death in a statement released through her agent to Taiwanese media at approximately 10:30 a.m. on 3 February: “Over the Chinese New Year period, our family traveled to Japan for a holiday, and my most beloved, kindest elder sister Shi-yuan caught influenza-related pneumonia and has unfortunately left us. I am thankful to be her sister in this life, and grateful that we have taken care of each other and kept each other company all these years. I will always be thankful to her and remember her. Shan, rest in peace. We love you always. Together remember forever. ”
  
  According to a widely circulated but unverified account of her final days in Japan, reportedly leaked by the Hsu family's local guide on Xiaohongshu, Hsu contracted influenza in late January while still in Taiwan. Despite her condition, she proceeded with the planned trip, which was part of the Hsu family's annual Chinese New Year tradition. Upon arriving in Japan on January 29, her symptoms quickly worsened, and she began experiencing coughing and asthma-like symptoms. That evening, she traveled to Hakone but remained confined to her room on January 30 and 31. On the second night, she was transported to a hospital by ambulance but was not admitted for further treatment and was returned to her accommodation later that night. On February 1, as her condition continued to deteriorate, she was examined at a small clinic and subsequently referred to a larger hospital, where she was diagnosed with Influenza A. However, she was only prescribed medication and sent back to rest. In the early hours of February 2, after showing signs of severe distress, she was rushed to a hospital in Tokyo for a fourth emergency visit. Despite resuscitation efforts, she was pronounced dead at 7:00 a.m. that morning. Hsu had a final phone call with Christine Fan before her respirator was removed. Present at her deathbed were her family—including her two children, husband, mother, sisters, their children (except Dee's eldest daughter, who was studying in the United States), and brothers-in-law—as well as longtime friends Pace Wu, who has based partly in Japan since her partner Ji Xiaobo became a fugitive following a criminal conviction by a Beijing court, and Janet Chia, who was vacationing in Japan and managed to see Hsu one last time after learning of her critical condition.
  
  Following the death announcement, the Facebook page of the influencer who first broke the news was taken down amid backlash over the premature and attention-seeking disclosure. The Hsu family also faced criticism over their dancing video posted hours before Hsu's death, filmed in their room at the Peninsula Tokyo, which some viewed as indicative of negligence toward Hsu's critical condition, though it is unclear whether the footage was recorded earlier or at the time of posting. Fan and Chen were targeted by online speculation that they had infected Hsu with influenza at a post-wedding homecoming banquet for Wang Wei-Zhong's daughter on 15 January, which was Hsu's final public appearance, a claim Fan refuted by sharing her chat history with a doctor. Fan, who was primarily educated in the United States, also drew criticism for using a similar but wrong Chinese character for Hsu's nickname, Shan, in one of her mourning posts later.
  
  Media ethics concerns were raised over the reporting of Hsu's death. On the afternoon of 3 February, Wang Wei-Zhong, the sisters’ former manager and a close family friend, issued a statement on behalf of the Hsu family: “Throughout her life, Shi-yuan was most anxious about being chased by reporters, as it could be very dangerous. Her mother earnestly appeals to everyone: when the family brings Shi-yuan back to Taiwan, please refrain from filming or taking photos inside or outside the airport, and do not follow them on the road. This was a lifelong wish that Shi-yuan was never able to realize. We deeply hope for your understanding.” Taiwan's National Communications Commission (NCC) urged the media to respect the feelings of the bereaved and to avoid sensationalism in their reporting of Hsu's death. In response, Taiwanese media, which generally maintain close relationships with the Hsu family, launched a self-regulation initiative, designating only one television station to film at the Songshan Airport, under the agreement that footage would be captured without approaching the family and shared with all outlets, though some media organizations violated the agreement by dispatching reporters to obtain exclusive coverage. On the evening of 3 February, two of Dee's daughters returned to Taipei ahead of the rest of the family, whose travel plans were carefully managed to avoid further media attention. Hsu's remains were cremated that night in accordance with Japanese law, which requires cremation within two to three days of death—unlike Taiwan's typical memorial period of ten to twenty days. Hsu's mother was initially expected to return on the afternoon of 4 February but did not, apparently to divert and minimize media attention at the airport; the family later clarified that no travel plans would be made public. Hsu's ashes—carried in a pink urn—were returned to Taiwan on a flight chartered by Dee on 5 February. The family avoided photographers by exiting through the airport's VIP channels.
  
  On the evening of 3 February, Hsu's ex-husband, Wang Xiaofei, who claimed to have suffered a breakdown, along with a recurrence of depression and worsening bipolar disorder following Hsu's death, arrived in Taipei with his wife, Mandy Ma, from their Chinese New Year holiday in Thailand to await the Hsu family, as Wang did not have a Japanese visa. At the airport, Wang pleaded with the press to “say more good things about her,” drawing backlash for his central role in generating negative publicity surrounding Hsu in her final years. He was later seen walking home in the rain for half an hour in Taipei. However, a reporter subsequently alleged that Wang's nanny van had already returned from the airport via a back alley to avoid the press but was spotted by a news vehicle stationed outside his residence. This raised speculation that Wang may have either asked to be dropped off early to walk the final stretch or exited through the back after returning home in an attempt to elicit public sympathy, though neither scenario has been verified. The same evening, shortly before Hsu's cremation, Wang phoned and sharply attacked Hsu's mother for what he viewed as the family's negligence—including undertaking long-distance travel while Hsu was ill and posting a dancing video just hours before her death—a criticism he reiterated in the days that followed. On 4 February, Wang left emotional messages on Douyin clips of the marriage reality show Happiness Trio featuring him and Hsu, including "My wife, I miss you" and "I'm the one who should be dead," before he deleted them, while Ma, in her first interview after marrying Wang in May 2024, urged the public and media to stop “cyberbullying” them and clarified that she and Hsu had maintained a good relationship for the sake of the children. On 7 February, Hsu's widower, Koo Jun-yup, issued a statement, relinquishing his share of spousal legacy to Hsu's mother while vowed to protect the shares of Hsu's two children. He also condemned Wang for "pretending to be sad while walking in the rain", saying “eople are trying to tarnish my family by spreading false rumors about the insurance and expenses, causing pain to our family," referring to the misinformation that Wang had paid for the chartered flight bringing Hsu's ashes from Japan to Taiwan and that Koo had taken out a large life insurance policy on Hsu. "It's terrifying to realize that such cruel people really exist in this world,” Koo wrote.
  
  Following her death, an online debate emerged over whether Hsu could have been saved if Wang had been present—an assertion he made privately to the Hsu family and implied publicly—given his prior experience in managing her health crises, which Hsu publicly acknowledged as having saved her life “many times”; his public concerns over her possible death due to her fragile health which her family downplayed after their divorce; and his more assertive, intense personality compared to the rest of her family, including her second husband, where Hsu typically took the lead. Hsu's agent, Angelina Liao, who was previously sued by Wang for defamation during the divorce dispute before the case was dismissed, stated that Hsu's mother considered Hsu's three-year marriage to Koo “the happiest time” of her life, and described Wang as a "good father" but had never truly "let go of" Hsu. Hsu's mother conveyed Hsu's final wish to Wang—to "let go of the love and hate" between them—while later also implying that Hsu's marriage to Wang had been a “ten-year mistreatment.”
  
  Hsu's sudden death led to a surge in demand for influenza vaccinations in Taiwan and other parts of Asia, and prompted reflection on Japan's healthcare system—particularly its strict tiered structure, which requires patients to first visit primary care clinics before being referred to specialists or larger hospitals, as well as its general reluctance to admit foreigners who do not speak Japanese. On 24 May 2025, in a video address at the opening of Guangzhou Science and Technology Week, Zhong Nanshan cited Hsu's death to stress the importance of timely flu treatment.
  
  An outpouring of memorials followed her death across Asia. On 5 February, K-pop singer Sandara Park, who started her career in the Philippines at the height of Hsu's Meteor Garden fame, performed the song "Ni Yao De Ai" (你要的愛) from Meteor Garden 's OST in Hsu's honor during Taiwan's Kaohsiung New Year's Eve Party. On 14 February, Taiwanese singer and actor Show Lo performed "Ai Zhuan Jiao" (愛轉角), the theme song of Corner With Love (2007), in which he starred alongside Hsu, at his Tokyo concert in her honor. On February 15, K-pop singer Rain led his audience in observing a 10-second moment of silence at his Kaohsiung concert in her honor, referring to her as "sister-in-law" as he is a sworn brother of Koo. On 22 February, Malaysian singer Penny Tai, the singer-songwriter of "Ni Yao De Ai", performed the song in Hsu's honor at her Shanghai concert. On 15 March, Christine Fan dedicated to Hsu performances of "One is the Fall, the Other is the Summer" (一個像夏天一個像秋天) and "Those Flowers" (那些花兒) at a compilation concert in Nanning, and "Can We Not Be Brave" (可不可以不勇敢), whose music video features Fan and the Hsu sisters, at the opening concert of her tour in Shanghai. Xiao Bing, brother of Da Bing (Tony Fish), released a memorial song, "Shanshan" (珊珊), which is her pet name among family and close friends, in April 2025. Other celebrities who mourned her included Peter Ho, Jacky Wu, Rainie Yang, Lin Chi-ling, Louis Koo, Andy Lau, Michelle Yeoh, as well as her Meteror Garden co-stars F4 and the manga artist Yoko Kamio, author of the original comic series Hana Yori Dango. More joined in remembrance on May 9, the 100th day after Hsu's death, when Dee commemorated her on Instagram by launching a social media movement inviting people to share the one thing they missed most about Hsu or the way she had most influenced their lives.
  
  Hsu's death received a notably muted response from public figures in mainland China—where Huang Xiaoming, her Summer's Desire co-star, and Mao Buyi, a fan of Dee who referred to Barbie as “the elder sister I never met,” were the only two celebrities who publicly paid tribute, while Wang Ou did so on her private Instagram—possibly due to the polarizing and often politicized nature of her ongoing divorce battle at the time of her death. In contrast, Hsu's death was notable for the emotional reaction it provoked among the general public in and beyond China. The collective sense of loss was attributed to the strong parasocial bonds she had fostered with viewers and, through subsequent public discourse and media analysis, helped popularize the psychological concept in Asia. A Nasdaq MarketSite billboard tribute to Hsu in New York's Times Square was sponsored by a Chinese fan, while plazas and shopping malls across China, either independently or through sponsorships, displayed memorial messages on their billboards. Raffles City Shanghai was reportedly flagged and removed its memorial messages, including Hsu's 2013 Weibo post written two years into her first marriage—“I must find myself again. So should you.”— ahead of International Women's Day, a time when Chinese authorities are particularly sensitive to feminist messaging. However, China Central Place in Beijing also featured the quote as part of its International Women's Day celebrations. A memorial bench for Hsu in London's Cavendish Square Gardens was funded through a fan-initiated GoFundMe campaign, with support from the fan group that had earlier organized a bench for Khalil Fong, who died shortly after Hsu.
  
  My sister has always been my support since we were little. Whenever I faced something I was afraid to do, she'd say: "Dee Hsu, you're such a coward!" That was her way of encouraging me. She was always the first person I'd turn to about anything in my life—because I needed her advice, and I needed her encouragement. When I got pregnant, I called her. Before I could even say anything, she said: "You're pregnant, aren't you?" Then she immediately started thinking about how to keep Mom from freaking out. When I was unemployed and feeling down, trying to pretend I could just be a housewife, she told me: "Dee Hsu, why are you pretending you don't want to be a star?" And she encouraged me to keep hosting. There are still so many things I want to ask her about. I also really want to hug her—the one who always acted so strong but was actually very fragile inside. Shan, I really have to pull myself together now, because Mom misses you so much. I miss you so much too. But I have to take good care of Mom. If I don't, you'd probably say: "Dee Hsu, how old are you and you still don't know how to take care of Mom?" Everyone tells me I need to move on, but I don't want to go anywhere—because you'll always be in my heart. Always, until the day we meet again.
  
  No memorial was held by Hsu's family, in accordance with her preference to "keep a low profile." On February 8, the first seventh-day memorial (頭七) after Hsu's death, family and friends gathered at her home under the theme of her “third wedding anniversary,” sharing cake and champagne and refraining from tears, honoring her farewell wishes. On February 9, Dee updated her Instagram for the first time since her sister's death, posting a photo of a gold hair clip with a pearl bow. The image was interpreted either as a keepsake that had belonged to Barbie or as part of the mourning attire traditionally worn by women under Korean funeral customs. Hsu's mother expressed an intention to pursue custody of Hsu's two children but abandoned the effort due to limited legal prospects. She later accused Wang of cutting off the children's contact with the Hsu family, a claim refuted by Wang's wife, Ma, who cited chat records regarding visitation arrangements.
  
  Hsu was initially announced to have a tree burial in accordance with her wishes, but was later laid to rest at the Rose Garden of Chin Pao San Cemetery in New Taipei City, as her widower, Koo, sought to provide a memorial site for family and friends. The specific location of her grave is not disclosed; instead, a sculpture designed by Koo will be installed in the cemetery's celebrity area for public visitation. After her ashes were returned from Japan, Hsu's urn was first kept at home, during which Koo prepared three meals daily featuring her favorite dishes, placing them before the urn in accordance with Korean jesa offerings and performing kneeling bows. The urn was later moved to a temporary columbarium niche at the Sunlight Garden of Chin Pao San Cemetery. The funeral took place on 15 March, amidst heavy rainfall. Koo, accompanied by Mike Xu's elder sister, entered the Sunlight Garden to retrieve the urn, while Hsu's mother, following the custom that elders do not attend the burials of younger family members, remained in a vehicle with her younger daughter, Dee. Koo then carried the urn to the family car, which proceeded to the Rose Garden, where a white tent had been erected to ensure the ceremony's privacy. Despite the custom, Hsu's mother chose to enter the tent, remaining for approximately 40 minutes before the interment was completed by cemetery staff. The funeral was attended only by family members; Hsu's former husband, Wang, and their two children were not present, which Wang's wife, Ma, stated was because they were not informed of it.
  
  Hsu's estate, estimated at NT$600 million, were settled in early March and equally divided among Koo and her two children, both of whom would stay in Taipei despite Wang and Ma, the children's father and stepmother, primarily live in Beijing. Koo, who had pledged his inheritance to Hsu's mother, reportedly accepted the tentative arrangement as the right to inheritance is not transferrable under Taiwanese law. Since Hsu's children are still minors, their inheritance shares and guardianship will be managed by their biological father, Wang, until they reach adulthood. Nevertheless, Taiwanese paparazzo Ryan Ko, who is associated with Wang, claimed that at the time of Hsu's death, she had a bank balance of only 1.33 million RMB—an amount purportedly disclosed to him during court proceedings in the defamation lawsuit brought against him by the Hsu sisters a year ago—a low balance that was a motivating factor behind Hsu's legal action against Wang. Ko revealed that both of Hsu's properties were under mortgage, and that the Taipei Shin-yi residence, where Hsu and Koo lived, had additionally been used as collateral for a loan related to the S Hotel, effectively placing her estate under significant financial encumbrance. Ko also echoed online rumors that the Hsu family had concealed or sold Hsu's jewelry collection, suggesting it was a tactic to shield assets from Wang, the legal guardian of the inheriting child—a claim the Hsu family denied.
  
  Hsu spoke about death throughout her career, shaped by her early struggles with depression and a host of health issues she had after marriage, including several near-death experiences, embodying a philosophical and completely at-ease outlook. At the time of her death, her WeChat signature read: "Death is inevitable."