The family of late Cantopop icon Anita Mui made an emotional public appeal over the weekend, revealing that her ashes were stolen from a Buddhist temple in Hong Kong nearly three months ago. The plea, released on October 10—what would have been her 63rd birthday—detailed the theft and the stalled police investigation that has left the family shattered.
Mui, widely hailed as the “Queen of Cantopop” and a beloved “Daughter of Hong Kong,” died of cervical cancer in 2003. Her mother, who passed away recently, arranged for her ashes to be placed in the Hoi To Temple, a sanctuary within the Po Lin Monastery complex on Lantau Island. The site was deliberately kept discreet, with no photograph adorning the niche, to ensure the singer the privacy in death she rarely enjoyed in life.
That tranquility was shattered on July 18, 2026. Devotees visiting the temple found the urn missing and the seal on the niche broken. The family immediately alerted the Lantau Island Police District Major Investigation Unit, but according to the family’s public statement, the investigation has made little headway in the months since.
The lack of progress has compounded their grief. The family described suffering a “double blow”—the trauma of the theft compounded by the recent loss of Mui’s mother. The statement characterized the ordeal as one of “extreme mental anguish,” leaving them caught between mourning a parent and the desecration of a sister’s final resting place.
A Desperate Appeal for Help
Tipping points exhausted, the family is now turning to the public. The appeal, issued through Mui’s international fan club, specifically seeks help in two areas:
- Dashcam Footage: Drivers who traveled the mountain roads around the Po Lin Monastery and Hoi To Temple in July, especially prior to the 18th, are urged to review their car recordings for any suspicious activity.
- Witness Accounts: Anyone who visited the temple complex between January and mid-July of this year who saw individuals acting suspiciously or carrying a container resembling an urn is asked to come forward.
The family assures tipsters of absolute confidentiality. Information can be directed to the Lantau Island Police District Major Investigation Unit at +852 3661 1938 or via the dedicated WhatsApp hotline at +852 4740 1308.
The theft of a public figure’s cremated remains is an exceptionally rare and painful crime, transforming a place of remembrance into a scene of violation. For Mui’s millions of fans across Asia, the incident has sparked an outpouring of shock and grief.
“Let us bring Mui home so she can rest in peace again,” the appeal concluded. The family and the wider Hong Kong entertainment community now pin their hopes on the public to help solve a case that has stripped one of the city’s most cherished cultural legends of her peaceful rest.
