Hong Kong Martial Arts Icon Dies at 69, Leaving Behind a Lasting Legacy
Now that martial arts movies have been a successful genre for decades, many people are big enough fans to recognize the people who've helped make it thrive. After all, it is important to note that some film industry professionals who've become iconic due to the genre have worked on and off the screen.
In January 2026, fans of martial arts movies got some bad news when it was revealed that a highly noteworthy figure who has worked on many movies from the genre had passed away. One of those people who helped capture amazing action onscreen, the Hong Kong action movie icon left his mark on film history.
Yuen Cheung-yan, Hong Kong Martial Arts Icon, Dies at 69
The year has gotten off to a sad start for kung fu cinema fans, as it’s just been announced that director, actor, and fight choreographer, Yuen Cheung-Yan, has passed away.
— Fu for Thought (@fuforthought_) January 1, 2026
He was Yuen Woo-Ping’s brother and a member of the ever-so-talented, Yuen Clan. He will be missed.
RIP. pic.twitter.com/PG3EAIbQF0
On January 2nd, 2026, the South China Morning Post reported that Yuen Cheung-yan had passed away at 69 years old. That report stated that according to his peer, film director and actor Lee Lik-chi, Cheung-yan passed away on New Year's Day at noon in Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Yau Ma Tei.
Unfortunately for Cheung-yan's loved ones, it seems that they won't be gathering to celebrate his life and put him to rest for a while. That is the case because the same article stated that Cheung-yan's funeral won't be held until February 1st, 2026. No other information was disclosed about the plans for the funeral.
Born in Hong Kong in 1957, Cheung-yan was part of a famous family that was known for how it influenced how martial arts have been depicted onscreen. Cheung-yan's father, Yuen Siu-tien, was a martial arts movie actor and choreographer before him. The family, which was sometimes called the "Yuen Clan," includes his brothers, Yuen Woo-ping and Yuen Shun-yi, who also worked on martial arts movies. Cheung-yan founded the "Yuen Family" production group with his brother Yuen Woo-ping.
Why Yuen Cheung-Yan Was a Hong Kong Martial Arts Movie Icon
The fact that Yuen Cheung-yan worked on movies consistently for decades was enough for him to be very proud of his accomplishments. However, Cheung-yan managed to do many more things during his career that made him someone who was worthy of respect from his peers and fans alike. For example, Cheung-yan won the Best Action Choreography award at the 11th Hong Kong Film Awards in 1992 for his work on Once Upon a Time in China. He also helped choreograph fights for Hollywood movies like Charlie's Angels, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, Daredevil, The Matrix Reloaded, and The Matrix Revolutions.
Also an actor, Cheung-yan appeared in movies like The Miracle Fighters, King of Beggars, and Tai-Chi Master. Arguably, the actor's most notable onscreen role was playing a beggar in Kung Fu Hustle, a movie that James Gunn once stated was “as close to perfect as a film can be."
Credits aside, it is Cheung-yan's influence on action movie cinema history that most obviously makes him an iconic figure. After beginning his martial arts movie choreography career in the 1960s, he played an important role in help shaping the visual language that has told an untold number of stories over the years.