A familiar face in Hong Kong cinema and television, actress Kingdom Yuen (苑瓊丹), is venturing into the burgeoning world of digital retail, announcing a collaborative live-streaming initiative aimed at helping consumers purchase traditional festive goods for the upcoming Lunar New Year (Year of the Horse). Tapping into her extensive network, Yuen has partnered with fellow entertainers including Liu Ke (劉可), Lo Chun-shun (魯振順), Chung Kit-yee (鍾潔兒), and Li Lam-yan (李霖恩) to launch a dedicated e-commerce broadcast project.
The announcement, marked by a festive press conference—complete with the traditional ceremonial moving of a roasted pig by Yuen herself and a ceremonial popping of confetti cannons alongside logistics leadership—signaled optimism for robust sales. This venture underscores the shifting landscape of entertainment careers, with celebrities increasingly embracing direct-to-consumer digital sales platforms.
The Reality Behind Live-Stream Selling’s Glamour
Speaking candidly on the challenges and commitment required for live-stream selling, Ms. Yuen, known for her sharp wit, shared insights gained from her recent commercial activities. She revealed that the seemingly glamorous job hides intense pressure and grueling dedication, noting that she has accumulated enough hard-won experience, both positive and negative, to potentially teach others.
“You must respect the work,” affirmed Yuen, highlighting the importance of unwavering presence during broadcasts. She recounted one memorable scenario where she almost had to employ extreme measures to avoid interrupting a segment. Although pre-planning inclusion of a necessary hygiene product was considered, she ultimately did not use it due to an incompatible size purchase. Her emphasis remained clear: “You cannot leave in the middle of a live broadcast; otherwise, the audience will find it very strange.”
The initiative is already attracting significant support from various international brands, adding weight to Yuen’s commercial credibility.
Industry Veterans Seek New Avenues
The collaboration also brought unexpected dynamics to the surface. Yuen publicly praised the potential involvement of Li Lam-yan’s spouse, describing her as educated and talented. A slightly embarrassed Li Lam-yan quipped that Yuen’s real target in inviting him was, in fact, his wife. “I don’t mind; perhaps I could enjoy some ‘soft rice’ [a joking term for benefiting financially from one’s wife],” he joked.
Also present was veteran actor Lo Chun-shun, who recently made headlines for remarks regarding singers from the reality show Midlife, Sing! potentially encroaching on established actors’ roles. Lo addressed the previous friction head-on, clarifying the incident was a misunderstanding and emphasizing the need for industry diversity, even in the presence of his younger co-star, Liu Ke, a contestant from the show.
“Even someone as respected as Kingdom Yuen cannot be replaced,” Lo stated. “Everyone has different professional domains, and I hope the industry can truly flourish.”
When questioned about whether live-stream earnings superseded traditional acting roles, Lo refuted the idea. He stressed that all sectors currently face operational difficulties, positioning live broadcasting merely as one contemporary method of doing business, rather than a guaranteed goldmine. Lo also took the opportunity to comment on his departure from TVB, confirming it followed the natural expiration of his contract and systemic changes at the broadcaster that made continued alignment challenging. He expressed a desire to focus on fulfilling, happiness-inducing work during the remainder of his career.
This celebrity-backed venture highlights a significant trend where traditional screen talent is rapidly adapting to interactive digital environments to maintain income, connection with fans, and relevance in an evolving media landscape. The Lunar New Year market provides a potent, seasonal opportunity for this new format of personalized, instant retailing.
