Winning the coveted Miss Hong Kong Pageant (Miss HK) is the dream of many young women in Hong Kong. However, years after winning the pageant, actress Lee San San (李珊珊) made the shocking decision to auction her crown.
The actress recently returned to the entertainment industry after nearly 20 years of hiatus. Lee San San “disappeared” from showbiz due to depression and panic disorder, only making rare appearances at events. Hong Kong media recently interviewed the star, asking her about her previous plans to auction her Miss HK crown. The star participated in the 1996 Miss HK pageant, winning the title and four other awards at 18.
In 2016, Lee San San had tried to auction her crown on the 20th anniversary of her winning. Unfortunately, the auction process failed so the star couldn’t sell the crown. According to the 47-year-old, she couldn’t obtain a charity license in time as she wasn’t a charity organisation and thus wasn’t authorised to auction the coveted headpiece. The public figure even tried to communicate with the Social Welfare Department to help with the process – but to no avail.
Sometime later, a friend offered to help auction the crown in the name of a charity, but Lee San San declined. She explained that she didn’t want to set a precedent for related organisations to take advantage of the situation to make money for themselves or their organisation. The former TVB actress added that she is particularly cautious on matters involving money, so she ultimately declined the offer.
For those wondering, Lee San San kept the Miss HK diamond crown, sceptre and cape after her win. The crown’s estimated value is around HK$1.38 million (approximately RM780,000). Lee San San still has the crown, saying she kept it in a box without seeing the light of day. However, she revealed that she might donate it to a museum, noting its significance to Hong Kong’s culture and history.
Perhaps there was a silver lining to Lee San San not being able to sell her Miss HK crown. What are your thoughts on this?
Sources: China Press, Oriental Daily
