Live with grace and dignity

Staff reporter

Hong Kong-based singer-songwriter Khalil Fong Tai-tung, who passed away at the age of 41, encouraged others to pursuing their dreams with dignity in his final message. His body was reportedly cremated.

His message was printed in Chinese and English on a card given to attendees at a private ceremony on Saturday, the same day when Fong's music label announced his death, mainland media reported.

Fong wrote: "Time waits for no one. As we age, we come to understand more deeply the duality of time - its reality and its illusion. Life presents us with countless twists and challenges, yet I believe one of our goals should be to navigate its path with grace and dignity.

"At this particular moment in my life, where everything seems to stand still, I am granted ample time to reflect on the past, contemplate the present with sincerity, and dream of the future."

Fong went on to mention his last album: "The name The Dreamer symbolizes that even in the face of illness and life's many trials, I remain here, filled with creative vision and boundless dreams.

"May you, in the days to come, continue to hold fast to your dreams, persevere in your efforts, grow, evolve and fully realize your potential at every stage of life."

A mainland news website said Fong was cremated in southwestern Yunnan province, the location tagged in his last social media post on Weibo. Other reports said Fong insisted in engaging in the creative process until his last moments, including drawing storyboards while receiving treatments, and he also folded painkiller paper manuals into origami cranes.

Fong is believed to have last appeared in public at American jazz musician Herbie Hancock's concert in Shanghai last October, when an apparent photo of him was posted online.

Fong's music label Fu Music said he passed away on February 21 after a five-year battle with an illness.

It added: "Fong will continue his mission and dreams in another realm of life. The music and graphic novels he left behind are an eternal spiritual legacy."

Fong was hospitalized a few times after suffering pneumothorax in 2010, possibly due to overwork.

He stepped back from his career following the release of his album Journey to the West in 2016.

He made a comeback last October with The Dreamer and said he was on the road to recovery.