Hong Kong martial arts star Chen Kuan Tai died aged 80 this morning (Sept 2), after reportedly suffering a cerebral haemorrhage.
He was recently hospitalised with hydrocephalus, a medical condition caused by an abnormal build-up of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain, according to Hong Kong media outlet Sing Tao (ST) Headline.
His death was reportedly confirmed by his apprentice and brother.
Veteran Hong Kong journalist Wong Man Ling said that Kuan Tai suffered a second cardiac arrest at 5am and rescue efforts were reportedly unsuccessful, and he was later pronounced dead.
Kuan Tai won the inaugural Southeast Asia Martial Arts Competition held in Singapore in 1969 before landing his breakout role as Ma Yongzhen in the 1972 Shaw Brothers classic film The Boxer from Shantung.
The film, based on the real-life figure, follows Yongzhen, a drifter who leaves Shantung with his friend for Shanghai, where he becomes embroiled in a violent triad conflict and eventually rises through the ranks, culminating in a bloody finale.
Kuan Tai became one of Hong Kong’s most famous kung fu stars and acted in countless movies and TV dramas over the decades, including The Teahouse (1974), Heroes Two (1974) and Psycho Detective (2017).
He also ventured into directing and producing films such as Iron Monkey (1977) and Big Boss of Shanghai (1979).
In a 2025 interview with Hong Kong magazine MP Weekly, Kuan Tai said he had wanted to “become an excellent martial arts choreographer”, adding that becoming an actor was “not my ultimate goal”.
In the same interview, Kuan Tai revealed that his first job was as a firefighter. He said: “Saving a life makes you very happy.”
He recalled an incident during the 1967 Hong Kong riots when he was driving a truck to pick up a colleague and ran over a bomb, causing the vehicle to explode.
While he escaped unscathed, the incident left him questioning his future. He recalled thinking, “Is my life going to end so easily?”
He subsequently quit the profession and pursued a career in the film industry.
In his later years, he moved to Zhongshan, China, and largely kept a low profile, according to Hong Kong publication HK01.
In 2020, he was reportedly hospitalised due to an imbalance of red and white blood cell counts and needed blood transfusions. His health reportedly improved in recent years.
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