The late Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing is perhaps not as well known as action stars Jackie Chan or Chow Yun-fat in Hollywood, but he remains a legend in Hong Kong.

The twin niece of Leslie Cheung hold his portrait at his funeral in 2002. [file photo]

Thousands of fans in Hong Kong gathered in support of the talented singer and actor on Saturday night. He was added to the Avenue of Stars in Tsim Sha Tsui. The honor is similar to Hollywood's Walk of Fame.

On April 1, 2003, Cheung killed himself by plunging off a balcony from the 24th floor of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Hong Kong.

His fans have held commemorative activities each year since then. On Saturday a TV screen was erected at the Cultural Center's plaza to show clips of Cheung's performances. A nearby bulletin board allowed fans to leave messages.

Born in Kowloon, and the youngest of 10 children, Cheung's childhood was fairly unhappy with fights and arguments. Perhaps that was where the sadness in his eyes came from that made his film character so touching and unforgettable.

One of his classic roles was Cheng Dieyi in "Farewell My Concubine." The Chen Kaige directed film was the story of a male Peking opera star falling in love with his male singing partner. The role brought him fame and pushed him to stardom.

Critics said the sadness and love in his eyes combined with the elegance of an opera star gave the role a nuance which definitely made the character irresistible.

After the film won the Golden Palm award at the Cannes Film Festival in 1992, Chen said only Cheung could give the role such spirit.

It was such a success that fans consider it his best performance.

Chen Yang, a college teacher in early 40's said, "Cheng Dieyi is classic Cheung because he is not acting, but living the role."

Compared with his film success, Cheung's success in music started much quicker. His upbeat "Monica" represented a new genre of music in Hong Kong. It was included in the top ten Chinese songs of 1984.