To Wai-tung (23 July 1940 – 8 March 2016), nicknamed 'Ah To' and writing under pen names such as 'To Yik-yau-do', was born and raised in Guangzhou — in Ersha Island, a national sports-training base, where he was in the swimming squad — and came to Hong Kong in 1960. He worked in his early years as a trainee and a seaman, and spent some time working in New York. Returning to Hong Kong in 1971, he became a newspaper reporter on the local news desk before switching to entertainment journalism, writing columns for Ming Pao Weekly and other publications while occasionally working for Golden Harvest (Hong Kong) Ltd. In the late 1970s he joined Golden Harvest formally to head its public relations and publicity, serving the studio for more than thirty years; he handled the public release of its films and stars, organised press conferences and promotional events, and built lasting ties with the media. His tenure coincided with the boom of Hong Kong's film industry, and he often accompanied films on overseas promotional tours to Japan, Southeast Asia, Europe and America to help open markets for Golden Harvest, coming to know many actors well. When the studio's publicity department was disbanded in the late 1990s he stayed on as a consultant to Golden Harvest Entertainment until he retired in 2011. He gathered decades of industry experience into two books, Stars Twinkling (2010), which recounts figures such as Jackie Chan, Anita Mui, Teresa Teng, Tina Ti, Brigitte Lin and Joey Wong, and Gleanings from the Star River (2012). After retiring he kept writing reminiscences in the press and giving interviews about the industry; his daughter, To Yu-fung, is a radio and television presenter. He died in Hong Kong of kidney failure on 8 March 2016, aged 75.
From the late 1970s To headed publicity at Golden Harvest, handling the public face of its stars and films and acting as a bridge to the press at the studio's peak; after retiring in 2011 he turned decades of backstage experience into the books Stars Twinkling and Gleanings from the Star River.
Achievements
- 1971 · Returned to Hong Kong as a newspaper reporter and later switched to entertainment news, writing columns for Ming Pao Weekly and others
- 1970年代後期 · Joined Golden Harvest in the late 1970s to head its public relations and publicity
- 2010 · Published Stars Twinkling in 2010, followed by Gleanings from the Star River in 2012