Ashes of late Cantopop icon Anita Mui missing for 3 months, family reveals

The family of the late Cantopop icon Anita Mui has expressed their concern after realizing that an urn containing her ashes went missing almost three months ago from a monastery on Lantau Island. In a statement shared on their social media pages, the family revealed that a visitor to Po Lin Monastery on July 18 found the screw at Mui's columbarium niche had been loosened, leaving the urn missing.

They immediately reported the incident to the police, but the investigation has dragged on for an extended period with no significant progress. Anita Mui, who passed away in 2003 at the age of 40 after battling cervical cancer, would have turned 63 this year. The family's statement came on her birthday, adding to their grief as they are experiencing a "double blow" following the recent death of her mother, who passed away in August at the age of 102.

The family has appealed to anyone who was at the monastery on or before July 18 to come forward with any information, particularly motorists who drove near the monastery in July, especially before July 18. The family has also requested any dashcam footage from that period to aid in their investigation. Anita Mui, a celebrated artist both in Hong Kong and abroad, began her performing career at a young age to support her family.

Her 1985 album, Bad Girl, achieved record sales at the time, and she broke multiple records with her rebellious image, becoming an icon of independence and individuality for the younger generation. A film chronicling her life, Anita, was released in 2021 and became one of the top-grossing local films of that year.