Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu, who shot to fame for starring in the TV series Meteor Garden, has died from pneumonia, local media report. She was 48. Hsu is one of the biggest names in the Mandarin-speaking world and Meteor Garden made her a big star in countries like the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand after it was dubbed in local languages.

Barbie Hsu, better known as "Da S" which means "Big S," caught the flu when she visited Japan with her family during the Lunar New Year, according to her sister.

Barbie Hsu's sister Dee Hsu, a TV presenter, confirmed the news and paid tribute, saying she would "forever be thankful for her and miss her". Hsu, who was known by fans as Da S, or Big S, rose to fame in the romance drama series Meteor Garden.