THERE are certain guidelines when it comes to a relationship for

Chinese couples. A man is supposed to marry a woman while she's still

young. A girl is expected to date men who are richer and taller. But

the new generation of showbiz stars are breaking that ritual. Let's

meet some.

Most courageous couple: Faye Wong and Nicholas Tse Ting-fung

When Faye, newly divorced from Beijing rocker Dou Wei, was first

spotted going out with Nicholas last March, few people believed the

rumour: she was too successful and he was a newcomer. She was a

parent; he had just left home. But soon the pair started dating,

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wearing tattoos on the same part of their bodies. In his concert this

month, Nicholas dedicated a song, called Love You Because of Love, to

Faye. As early as in 1997, Nicholas, then 17, already expressed his

admiration for Faye. "It's great to lead a life like Faye Wong

because she just does whatever she likes," he said during an

interview. But is the age gap a problem? "I don't mind dating a girl

older than me, as long as we can communicate with each other," he

said.

Fact file

FAYE WONG, 32

Major movies: Chungking Express; Okinawa Rendez-Vous

Awards:Hong Kong Film Awards (HKFA) nominee for best actress

(Chungking Express)

NICHOLAS TSE, 20

Major movies: Young and Dangerous; Gen-X Cops; Time and Tide

Most pressured couple: Leon Lai and Shu Qi

Working with super idol Leon Lai is a huge risk. His jealous teenage

girl fans often boo his co-stars and boycott their movies. Some have

even been forced to leave Hong Kong.

It was particularly difficult for Taiwanese actress Shu Qi, who

started off as a soft-porn movie star, and the label has stayed with

her ever since. "How can our idol date such a slut?" some fans cried

when it was reported that the pair were an item on the set of The City

of Glass last year. But this time, Leon seems to be fed up with the

fans' obsession and has put his foot down. Shu Qi reportedly plans to

take a year off to be with Leon, who describes her as his "best

friend". Shu says they "know each other quite well".

Fact file

LEON LAI, 34

Major movies: Fallen Angels (1995); God of Gamblers 3 (1996);

Comrades, Almost a Love Story (1996); City of Glass (1998); Love At

First Sight (2000)

SHU QI, 24

Major movies: Viva Erotica (1996); City of Glass (1998); Skyline

Cruisers (2000)

Awards: Best supporting actress-best newcomer (Viva Erotica)

Most colourful couple: Carina Lau Ka-ling and Tony Leung Chiu-wai

Carina almost became a real-life Cinderella. The Suzhou native, who

moved to Hong Kong about 20 years ago, happily announced her

engagement to businessman Julian Hui, only to realise that there was

no way the rich and traditional family would accept a showbiz girl

from the mainland. Years later, Hui married and split up from

celebrity Pansy Ho, while Carina's relationship with Tony has remained

steady and colourful.

Both have been linked with various showbiz names. More recently,

Carina has been spotted with a businessman, while Tony reportedly fell

in love with Maggie Cheung on the set of In the Mood for Love. But

Carina is cool. "There's a tacit agreement between Tony and I," she

explains. "It's simple: we don't need to see each other everyday."

Fact file

CARINA LAU, 33

Major movies: The Eagle Shooting Heroes (1993); He's a Woman, She's a

Man (1994); Ashes of Time (1994); 2046 (2000)

TONY LEUNG, 38

Major movies: Chungking Express (1994); Happy Together (1997); The

Flowers of Shanghai (1998); In the Mood for Love (2000)

Awards: 1987 HKFA best supporting actor (People's Hero); 1995 HKFA

best actor (Chungking Express); 1997 HKFA best actor (Happy Together);

2000 Cannes Film Festival best actor (In the Mood for Love)

Most faithful couple: Sammi Cheng and Andy Hui

Sammi and Andy are probably the most stable couple of their

generation, but they still have a few hurdles to overcome. The pair

started off on the same level, but now Sammi has become the biggest

female star in Hong Kong, with a reported fortune of more than a $100

million. Andy is often asked one question: Don't you feel uneasy to

have such a successful girlfriend? "I'm not envious of Sammi. I'm

happy with what I have," he says.

Fact file

SAMMI CHENG, 28

Major movies: Feel 100% (1996); Killing Me Tenderly (1997); Needing

You (2000); Summer Holiday (2000)

ANDY HUI, 33

Major movies: Future Cops (1993), Love Amoeba Style (1997), You Light

Up My Life (1998).

Most mismatched couple: Do Do Cheng and Lui Fong

People still chuckle when Do Do and Lui are mentioned or appear

together. They just don't match. She is tall, rich, smart, articulate

and a huge star, while he is short and, despite having a good voice, a

minor celeb. But believe it or not, the changes in Do Do are more

obvious. She was known as an aggressive tough cookie. Now, she is a

lot more feminine and seems to have developed an interest in domestic

bliss.

"I'm not short. I'm of a standard height," Lui says. "As long we

are happy, we are a good match."

Fact file

DO DO CHENG, 43

Major work: Last Affair (1983); Heart Against Heart (1991); Her Fatal

Way (1994); War of the Genders (2000, TVB soap)

Awards: 1983 HKFA best newcomer (Last Affair); 1995 HKFA best actress

(Her Fatal Way)

LUI FONG, around 40

Major work: Better known as a singer, but has been involved in some

television soaps, including A Kindred Spirit and the film Spiritually

A Cop (1991).

cchan@hk-imail.com

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