Since winning the 2004 Miss Chinese International Pageant, Linda Chung (鍾嘉欣) has come a long way from Vancouver, Canada. Her acting career flourished, allowing her to become a quiet millionaire and property owner of 3 houses! Few people knew that Linda had battled loneliness and depression while pursuing dreams of a lifetime in Hong Kong. Secret Riches After winning the 2004 Miss Chinese International Pageant at 18 years old, Linda Chung was given a lifetime opportunity to carve riches in the lucrative Hong Kong entertainment industry. Professionally, Linda passed with flying colors, quickly leading in 2004′s Virtues of Harmony <皆大歡喜 II>. She was a darling among advertisers as well, allowing her to become a property owner as early as 2006, only 2 years after entering TVB! According to public property records, Linda purchased a $1.96 million HKD property in the Metro City residential complex in Tseung Kwan O in 2006, which has currently increased in value to $3.6 million HKD! In 2011, Linda bought her second Hong Kong property for $5.5 million HKD in the same residential complex, which has held in value. Homecoming in Vancouver In April, Linda returned to Vancouver to visit her family. She also spent $15 million HKD to purchase a 5,000 square feet house in Canada for her parents, sister, and brother to live more comfortably. The new bi-level house featured 7 rooms and a luxuriously large living room. Sharing her investment principles, Linda said, “Women need to know how to buy ‘bricks’ (real estate properties). It is meaningless to put away the money in the bank. In the entertainment industry, it is lucky to ascend to a certain position. You can earn a lot of money very quickly.” Living without her family by her side for the last 8 years in Hong Kong, Linda felt extreme loneliness at times. Initially, she thought that she would be able to return to Vancouver each year to visit her family. Her work schedule at TVB did not allow this, which made her miss her family considerably. Linda was especially close to her elder sister, who also shared an April birthday as Linda. When Linda visited Vancouver last month, her elder sister organized a surprise birthday party for Linda, in which many of Linda’s past school friends were present. Within seconds, Linda burst into tears of happiness. Linda’s recent vacation to Vancouver was placed 2 years in advance. Since she rarely had a chance to visit her hometown, Linda even purchased Christmas presents in advance for her friends! Road to Success Involved Sacrifices While Linda may be currently enjoying the fruits of her hard work, she had a difficult initial transition in her early acting career. “My world before was very gray. It was a rough adjustment when entering the entertainment industry. I trapped myself for many years, until one day, my elder sister was not feeling well. I was very worried. My elder sister was the closest person to me. It felt as if the world came crashing down upon me!” After her elder sister had depression, Linda suffered emotional instability as well. Filming busily for 2 TVB dramas at the time, Linda was unable to go to Vancouver to console her elder sister, making Linda panic even more. Linda recalled, “My homesickness was very strong. In the past, my way of thinking was too simple. I did not know how to solve problems, only hiding away to cry silently.” Facing an insurmountable amount of stress alone forced Linda to overcome her weaknesses and grow stronger for the sake of her family. Raised in a solid middle-class family, Linda’s love for her family and filial piety were especially strong. It was apparent that she worked very hard in her career, not only for her own financial self-gain, but also for the love of her family. Linda’s elder sister had recovered recently, in which she paid more attention to her appearance and went outside once again. As the breadwinner in her family, Linda was very willing to share her wealth with her family members. She said, ”My family has normal jobs. I hope that everyone can have their own house: myself, my elder sister, elder brother, and parents each have their own house. I will be content. I do not feel as if I am the breadwinner, but I am very happy to share with my family!” Getting Married at 32 Years Old Aside from her aggressive real estate goals, Linda also hoped to establish her own fashion business one day. She will be releasing a new music album this summer after a 2-year hiatus. ”I am a Diamond Bachelorette! I hope to marry at 32 years old!” Linda has been romantically linked with martial arts star, Philip Ng (伍允龍), for the last 5 years. It appeared that Philip may have to wait another 4 years before Linda will consider marriage! Asked about her status with Philip, Linda responded in her normal low-profile manner, “Wait until I have found my life partner, then we can discuss it!” Creds: Face Magazine
