Veteran Taiwanese entertainer Pai Bing-Bing has opened up about the long and painful journey she endured after the tragic death of her only daughter, Pai Hsiao-yen, in 1997.
Her daughter, then 17, was abducted on her way to school in a case that shocked Taiwan. Kidnappers later sent a severed finger and demanded a US$5 million ransom. The situation escalated further amid intense media attention during ransom negotiations, which authorities said disrupted operations. Her body was eventually found in a drainage ditch, with forensic reports indicating she had suffered severe injuries before her death.
The case triggered nationwide outrage in Taiwan and led to stronger child protection measures and improvements in police investigative procedures. In the aftermath, Pai established the Pai Hsiao-yen Foundation to support disadvantaged students and has remained a vocal supporter of retaining the death penalty.
In a recent social media post, Pai expressed gratitude for public concern and reflected on her grief over nearly three decades. She revealed that after her daughter’s death, she underwent an extraordinary attempt to cope with her loss by trying to “bring her daughter back” through childbirth.
Pai disclosed that she went through 16 cycles of in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment over seven years. The process involved extreme physical strain, including at least 3,200 hormone injections in total, with each cycle requiring hundreds of injections and prolonged bed rest.
She described the emotional toll as devastating, recalling repeated failures that led to periods of deep sadness, exhaustion, and emotional breakdown. Despite encouragement from medical teams, she continued treatment for years before doctors eventually told her that no viable eggs could be retrieved.
Pai said that looking back, she now understands the experience as both physically and emotionally overwhelming, but she chose to share her story to help others avoid similar suffering.
Reflecting on her life, she said the pain of losing her daughter has never fully gone away. While she continues to live with emotional scars, she said she draws strength from supporters and loved ones who have stood by her over the years.
She also shared a recent encounter with one of her daughter’s former classmates, now an adult with a child of his own, which prompted her to reflect on how her daughter might have grown up. In her heart, she said, her daughter will always remain 17 years old.
Pai ended her message by thanking the public for their continued support, saying she continues to move forward each day despite enduring lifelong grief and loss.
