The touching story of Richie Ren saving a fan's life

In 2023, Taiwanese singer Richie Ren, also known as Richie Jen, had an emotional encounter with a fan whose life he saved 22 years ago. What happened back then, and how did the two reunite after so long?

Singer-actor Richie Ren hails from Taiwan, but he has found the most success in Hong Kong's cantopop and acting scenes. He is best known for his musical work.

Richie Ren was born on June 23, 1966, in Changhua County, Taiwan. He was raised in Taiwan and has spent the majority of his life there.

Image: Rock Records

Richie Ren was first introduced to music by his middle school teacher, who taught him how to play the guitar. This was the beginning of Richie Ren's musical journey, and he would practise his guitar skills to western country music.

Image: Rock Records

In an interesting twist of fate, that same middle school teacher went on to sign on a contract with Synco Cultural Corporation as a producer. Richie Ren’s talent and passion for music were remembered by that same teacher, who then introduced him to the label.

Image: richiejen623 / Instagram

Since signing onto Sunco Cultural Corporation in 1990 while still studying in university, Richie Ren released his first album, titled ‘Towards the Rainbow’ and two other albums after.

Image: Rock Records

Unfortunately, reception towards his music was cold during his time at Synco Cultural Corporation. It was then that Richie Ren decided to leave his singing career to enlist in the military in 1991.

Richie Ren would, however, return to the scene in 1996. Richie Ren's contract with Synco Cultural Corporation had not been formally terminated, and the company was then acquired by Rock Records, which meant that Richie Ren was now a singer under Rock Records.

Image: Rock Records

Richie Ren benefited from new management because it was under Rock Records that he had his first taste of mainstream success with his albums 'I Feel Good!' and his breakthrough hit, 'Too Softhearted' - which can be considered his most famous hit of all time!

Other than singing, Richie Ren is also an actor. Richie Ren has been acting since 1991 and has made appearances in multiple films and TV shows.

Although Richie Ren's acting is not without criticism, his casting in the TTV adaptation of 'The Return of the Condor Heroes' in 1998 was heavily criticised.

Image: richiejen623 / Instagram

Despite the ups and downs, Richie Ren finally received formal recognition for his acting work later in life when he received the Best Actor award in the 14th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival for his work in ‘Fire of Conscience’.

Did you know? Other than acting and music, Richie Ren has also dabbled in directing a film. Richie Ren directed, screenwrote, and acted in ‘All You Need is Love’ in 2015 alongside A-lister Shu Qi.

In his personal life, Richie Ren is married to ex-fashion designer Tina Chen. The pair have two children and reside in Hong Kong.

Did you know that Richie Ren is popular among fans not only for his talent but also for his generosity? Especially so in this touching story of him and a fan that started 22 years ago...

Image: richiejen623 / Instagram

8days reported in June 2023 that, at his concert in Shenyang, Liaoning province, China, concertgoers made way to allow a lone girl to speak with Richie Ren mid-concert. She was able to approach the star during a song request segment.

Image: richiejen623 / Instagram

The fan revealed that she once suffered from congenital heart disease as a toddler and came in with picture proof that showed her and Richie Ren in the hospital 22 years ago.

Image: richiejen623 / Instagram

Transcribed by Yahoo News, the fan said: "Due to my family’s poor financial situation my life was in the balance. You read the news about me on your way to the concert in Shenyang and generously donated 30,000 yuan which enabled me to have the surgery and saved my life."

Image: richiejen623 / Instagram

Richie Ren's generosity had come full circle after 22 years! After learning that he would be performing in her hometown, the fan made her way to his concert. What was supposed to be a simple song request segment turned out to be very emotional for everyone, including Richie Ren.

Image: richiejen623 / Instagram

The South China Morning Post reported that the beneficiary went on to request Richie Ren to sing ‘Don’t Change’. She stated: "I hope that the love between us will never change and that the universal love and compassion among people will also remain unchanged."

Image: richiejen623 / Instagram

This incident quickly went viral on the internet, with many people praising Richie Ren's character as a celebrity. One netizen even stated that this is not the only time the star has been a good samaritan away from the spotlight.

This story is a testament to Richie Ren's generosity. It explains why he is such a beloved star in the C-entertainment world.