Late singer Anita Mui’s ashes missing from Hong Kong monastery, family asks for help

The family of late Hong Kong singer Anita Mui is appealing to the public for help locating her ashes, which have been missing from a monastery for nearly three months.

In a statement shared by the Anita Mui International Fan Club on Oct. 10, the family said the urn containing the Cantopop star’s ashes had gone missing from Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island. They also expressed distress over the lack of progress in the investigation.

"Although the police have been investigating the case for nearly three months, no progress has been made so far. This incident has caused tremendous distress, psychological toll, and pain to Mui Ji's family, especially with Mui Ji's mother passing away earlier, leaving the family grieving deeply and dealing with profound anxiety," the statement read in Chinese.

According to Hong Kong media outlets, a fan discovered the urn missing on July 18 while visiting the monastery to pay respects to the singer. The screws on the door of the compartment where her ashes were kept had reportedly come loose.

The fan notified Mui’s family, who then reported the matter to the police.

A police spokesperson confirmed that authorities received a report on July 18 concerning a missing item at a monastery on Lantau Island. The case is being handled by the Lantau district crime squad, and no arrests had been made yet, according to public broadcaster RTHK.

The family’s appeal was issued on what would have been Mui’s 63rd birthday. The singer died of cervical cancer in December 2003 at the age of 40.

Mui was one of Hong Kong’s biggest music stars, known for hit songs such as Bad Girl, Song of the Sunset, and Woman’s Flower. She also won multiple Best Actress awards for her performance in the 1988 film Rouge.