Coronavirus Outbreak

Chang Fei fed up with paying nun-jewellery trader sister's debts

Host of the Taiwanese television programme Variety Big Brother, Chang Fei
Fei Yu-ching
Singer-turned-Buddhist nun known as Hengshu

Host of the Taiwanese television programme Variety Big Brother, Chang Fei says he has "had enough" after years of paying off his elder sister's debts.

In an interview with Taiwanese news outlet Apple Daily, the 68-year-old veteran host says he and his younger brother - singer Fei Yu-ching - have shelled out a combined NT$200 million (S$9.5 million) over some 30 years for their elder sister, the singer-turned-Buddhist nun known as Hengshu.

This comes amid news that the 70-year-old Hengshu is deep in debt to various loan sharks. She also posted on Facebook on Monday to say she will be flying to America to meet Israeli diamond suppliers who promise to help her become Asia's largest agent of diamonds.

Chang says: "We give a support fee every month and, over the years, she has accumulated so much debt - between my brother and I, we've paid more than NT$200 million."

He says Fei and him helped to pay off NT$16 million last year and were shocked to learn recently that she is yet again in debt, to the tune of more than NT$40 million.

Chang says that though his sister does not gamble, she is often flagrantly generous, treating her religious followers to all-expenses-paid trips.

She is also in the jewellery trade and often has to pay huge sums of money for the jewels. If she does not have the money, the suppliers charge her a high interest rate in exchange for the jewels.

He adds: "She has to start dealing with this herself. We cannot help her anymore. We have had enough, we cannot let her stamp her feet on our familial ties like this anymore."

Chang also says she should quit being a nun if she cannot give up material possessions and insists on staying in the jewellery trade.

His brother Fei, 64, who has retired from singing after his final concert tour ended in January, also used to hand over all his earnings from his overseas shows to their sister.

"For example, if he was in Singapore for 15 days for shows, all that money goes to her," Chang says.

While Fei himself has not made a public statement about his sister, Chang made it clear his brother does not side with her.

"Her debts are like an endless hole, we have been helping her pay them off since we were young, it will never be enough."

He adds that the brothers have maintained ties with her out of respect for their parents, but now that both of their parents have died, Chang says he does not "rule out the possibility of cutting ties if need be".

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on March 19, 2020, with the headline Chang Fei fed up with paying nun-jewellery trader sister's debts. Subscribe