MacRitchie Reservoir Is One Of Chow Yun Fat’s Favourite Places In S’pore

No part of this story or photos can be reproduced without permission from 8days.sg.

There are movie stars, and then there’s Chow Yun Fat — the kind of icon who can turn an awards show into his own meet-and-greet without even trying.

When the 70-year-old Hong Kong screen legend attended the Star Awards on July 6, three decades after he presented at its inaugural ceremony in 1994, it felt like a full-circle moment and a rare treat for fans and celebrities alike.

Star-struck celebs didn’t just scramble for selfies and hugs with him, there were declarations of love (we’re looking at you, Love 972 DJ Chen Biyu). Others struggled to keep their composure (ahem, Yes 933 DJ Gao Mei Gui).

Backstage, the frenzy was no less intense, though the media and crew were warned not to approach him for photos.

It’s easy to see why Fat Gor remains so adored across generations.

Beyond his prolific body of work and commanding screen presence, he has a warmth and down-to-earth charm that endears him to everyone he meets.

In an interview with 8days.sg, Fat Gor, whose wife Jasmine Tan is Singaporean, speaks fondly about our city’s transformation in recent years.

Though he doesn’t come often, when he does, you might find him at hawker centres and jogging in one of our parks.

The avid runner was recently spotted jogging along Sentosa’s Palawan Beach, but it is MacRitchie Reservoir that holds a special place in his heart.

“You can do a loop — walk along the water, then through the hill back again. One loop is about 5km. Very nice,” he shares.

He hardly gets recognised as he wears a cap and sunglasses during his runs. "But in Singapore, you have to run either early in the morning or in the evening. Midday is too hot," he says.

MacRitchie is also his favourite spot to take photos as “there are lots of trees, and the water is stunning”.

Yes, Fat Gor isn’t just a selfie king — he has a designated mobile phone for snaps with the media — he’s also a photography enthusiast.

Last year, he even held a photography exhibition in Hong Kong, showcasing 30 of his works.

One of his favourite subjects are flowers as they are beautiful and simple to capture.

“People move around, but flowers don’t,” he quips.

Turns out, it was his wife’s love for flowers that rubbed off on him.

“She buys a lot of flowers for the home. Every day, I stay at home and just focus on the flowers and take pictures of them. The hotel I’m staying in now has a garden, so every morning I take photos of the flowers too. So beautiful,” he says with a smile.

And he’s not short on photography inspiration here.

“There are so many beautiful places in Singapore to photograph… “A lot of old places like Lau Pa Sat, Chinatown, Tiong Bahru are very beautiful. Morning, dusk, or evening, all very beautiful,” he says.

Photos: Mediacorp Photo Unit