Pretty in pink: About 150 guests were seen arriving to pay their last respects to Choi. The memorial hall was decorated in pink, said to be Choi’s favourite colour. — Photo by I_AM_NUMBER_WAN on Twitter
Family and friends of Abby Choi bade their final farewell to the Hong Kong model on Monday, almost four months after her gruesome murder.
Choi’s partner Chris Tam and her mother Cheung Yin-fa were among the first to arrive with Buddhist monks at around 8am to conduct final rituals at Po Fook Memorial Hall in Tai Wai where the vigil was held, reported the South China Morning Post.
About 150 black-clad guests were seen arriving in the morning to pay their last respects as Choi’s remains were loaded onto a hearse embellished with pink roses, white orchids and pink ribbons. Some guests circled the vehicle to take turns catching their last glimpse of the coffin.
Shortly after 10am, the hearse left the memorial hall for Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island.
Tam sat in the passenger seat, clutching a framed photo of Choi.
At least three coaches fetching guests were headed for the monastery while some family members, including Cheung and young children believed to be Choi’s, left in their own vans.
Choi leaves behind four children, two fathered by her former husband and the younger pair by Tam.
In a departure from traditional Chinese funerals where black and white is normally used for mourning, the memorial hall for the service was decorated in pink, said to be Choi’s favourite colour.
The entire ground floor of the memorial hall was draped with pink curtains and decorated with pink and white flowers. Two 1.5m-tall photos of Choi were placed at either side of the entrance.
Hundreds of mourners had gathered at the memorial hall on Sunday to pay their final respects to Choi.
Sombre event: People leaving the memorial hall where the religious vigil and funeral were held in Hong Kong. — Reuters
The vigil took place at Po Fook Memorial Hall in the Tai Wai area of Sha Tin district, adhering to Buddhist traditions, Reuters reported.
The murder of the 28-year-old socialite and influencer in February shocked Hong Kong and the world, after parts of her remains were found in a village house in Hong Kong.
Her head and parts of her ribs were found inside a large pot, and her legs were discovered in a freezer.
The Hong Kong media reported in May that Choi’s family were planning to have her face remade using “bioprinting” technology for the vigil and funeral, events that reportedly cost over HK$3mil (RM1.77mil) to prepare.
The specialist company abroad printed a 3D copy of her face that can be wrapped around her skull, and touched up with cosmetics and a wig.
This way, her family and close friends can hold a proper viewing and send-off for her, the newspaper said.
Choi was seen as a fashion maven in Hong Kong. She had over 84,000 followers to her Instagram account, and was estimated to have a net worth of some HK$100mil (RM59mil).
Some people who attended the vigil on Sunday told Sing Tao Headline that her body looked life-like.
Six people have been charged in the brutal killing of the wealthy influencer.
Choi’s former husband Alex Kwong, 28, his father Kwong Kau, 65, a former policeman, and his elder brother Anthony, 32, have been accused of murdering her over a property dispute.
Alex’s mother, Jenny Li Sui-heung, 63, has been accused of trying to misdirect investigators probing Choi’s murder.
All four remain in jail.
Two others who allegedly helped in Alex’s attempt to flee Hong Kong have likewise been charged, but were allowed to post bail.
All six appeared before a court on Monday.
Last journey: Choi’s remains being loaded onto a hearse that left for Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island shortly after the funeral. — Photo by I_AM_NUMBER_WAN on Twitter
It may take four to five years before Choi’s four children can inherit her HK$300mil (RM177mil) estate, the Post reported.
The inheritance is being held up because Choi did not register her marriage with her long-time partner Tam, the Hong Kong newspaper reported, citing a source.
The source said: “Her heirs will need to wait for the conclusion of the murder case, which may take years if the involved parties seek an appeal.
“Then there will be an inquest to conclude Choi’s cause of death, after which her death certificate will be issued. The whole process will be lengthy and complex.”
Choi and Tam underwent wedding rites in 2016 without legally registering their marriage.
She is survived by four children aged three, six, eight and 10.
Choi’s estate includes a luxury apartment worth HK$73mil (RM43mil) at Kadoorie Hill in Kowloon Tong – one of Hong Kong’s most prestigious addresses. Choi reportedly bought the 169sq m apartment under her former father-in-law’s name. The police had earlier said a property dispute is a possible motive for the murder.
The newspaper quoted a lawyer as saying that since Choi’s children are under 18, their next of kin can apply to be appointed as the estate’s trustees and hold the children’s share in a trust.
This means they must keep the relevant assets properly on behalf of the children.
Once all the children reach the age of 18, they can apply to the court to dissolve the trust and formally receive their share under a joint agreement, he added.
In an interview with SCMP published on Sunday, Tam, the son of the founder of popular restaurant chain TamJai Yunnan Mixian, said he met Choi through her ex-husband, who was his junior high classmate.
He said Alex later met Choi when he switched schools, and the three often met up.
“I met her when we were still nobodies. I am a very simple person and an introvert, and our conversations were mostly about our family and children,” he added.
“I am not someone who is good at expressing myself ... but I will always love her, and she is always on my mind.” — The Straits Times/ANN
