The ashes of legendary Hong Kong singer and actress Anita Mui were reportedly stolen in July 2026 and remain missing nearly three months after the incident was discovered.
According to Sinchew, on July 18, several fans visiting the Hoi Wui Pagoda to pay their respects to the late star noticed something unusual at the site where her ashes were kept. The screws securing the memorial plaque appeared to have been loosened, and the urn containing her ashes was no longer inside.
The fans immediately contacted Anita Mui’s family, who subsequently reported the suspected theft to the police. However, nearly three months later, there has reportedly been no significant progress in the investigation. The family has now asked the Anita Mui International Fan Club to issue an urgent public appeal for information. They are seeking witnesses and dashcam footage from anyone who visited the Hoi Wui Pagoda or the surrounding Po Lin Monastery area between early January and mid-July 2026.
Speaking to Sing Tao Daily on October 10, Anita Mui’s older brother said he had been completely unaware of the incident and blamed the monastery’s management for the apparent security failures. He also admitted that he had not visited his sister’s resting place this year.
To avoid unwanted public attention, Anita Mui’s family had previously arranged for her ashes to be placed in a secluded location within the Hoi Wui Pagoda at Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island, Hong Kong. Her memorial plaque did not display her stage name or photograph. Instead, it featured only her childhood name, with her birth and death dates recorded according to the traditional lunar calendar.
Unlike previous cases involving the theft of celebrities’ ashes in Hong Kong, Anita Mui’s family has reportedly received no ransom demands or extortion calls, leaving the motive behind the disappearance a mystery. In a separate mass theft of cremated remains at Po Fook Hill in Sha Tin, Hong Kong, in 2025, the widow of late filmmaker and martial arts actor Lau Kar Leung was reportedly asked to pay HK$60 million in ransom.
Anita Mui grew up in a family with a traditional fishing background before launching her career as a singer. She rose to fame with numerous successful albums, including Debts of the Heart and Red Anita Mui, becoming one of Hong Kong’s most celebrated music icons. Beyond her remarkable singing career, Mui was also an accomplished actress, appearing in 45 films and two television productions. Her notable works included Eighteen Springs, Behind the Yellow Line, Rouge, and July Rhapsody. She received multiple honors at prestigious ceremonies such as the Hong Kong Film Awards and the Golden Horse Awards. At the height of her career, her acting fee reportedly reached HK$2 million per project, while her accumulated wealth was estimated at approximately HK$150 million. According to QQ, her estate was reportedly valued at around HK$170 million in 2011.
Sources: Ngoisao