History : Lau Kar-leung

78-year-old martial arts star Lau Kar-leung passed away from lymphoma in Hong Kong Union Hospital at 10am today, after battling it for 19 years. According to the hospital, Lau died peacefully with his family by his side this morning. Speaking to the media at the press conference, his good friend Natalis Chan said that a Buddhist funeral ceremony will be held for the revered action star. The late actor-director was born in 1934 in Guangzhou to a family of martial artists. Son of Lau Cham, a martial arts master who was a disciple of legendary Wong Fei-hung, Lau entered the industry in 1950. In an illustrious career spanning more than 60 years, Lau starred in and provided action choreography for more than 70 films. Best known for his self-directed films such as The 36th Chamber of Shaolin and Drunken Master II, he was also featured in a local drama Kungfu Master in 1996. Winning the 'Lifetime Achievement Award' at the Hong Kong Film Awards in 2010, Lau is widely recognised as an influential figure in the industry. Besides working with a number of A-list action stars including Jackie Chan and Donnie Yen, he was also the mentor of veteran Hong Kong actors such as Gordon Liu. Director Tsui Hark, who worked with Lau on Seven Swords (his final project), also offered his condolences and said, 'He is very professional. I am very sorry about his passing. It is a great loss to the Hong Kong movie industry.'