Although Mui will be best remembered for her illustrious career in showbiz, there was another side to the superstar that is equally cherished by people whose lives she touched.

As a person, Mui was generous and straightforward, one who valued friendship. Colleagues in Hong Kong’s entertainment circle have come forward with tales of Mui’s generosity, how she had made personal sacrifices to help a friend without being asked, and without expectation.

Mui's fans from Indonesia grieving over her death outside the Hong Kong Funeral Home. The five-time winner of Hong Kong’s best female singer award once said: “Many people thought I’ve made a lot of money. But actually my biggest gain is friendship. When I was frustrated, many friends were concerned and gave me support. It is such a precious feeling when you have so many friends who can help you.”

Acting as mentor to many of Hong Kong’s new acts, she played a huge role in building the careers of several Hong Kong stars, including Andy Hui and her former back-up dancers Grasshopper.

A devout Buddhist, Mui was known for her charity work, having organised numerous fund-raisers and donating a substantial sum of money to good causes. In 1993, she set up the Anita Mui True Heart Charity Foundation, and held a charity concert in Toronto, Canada, and a charity dinner in Hong Kong to raise funds for the foundation. She also donated HK$1mil (RM500,000) to the Tung Wah Hospital Group and helped found its seniors’ centre, while another generous donation resulted in Hong Kong’s Queen Mary Hospital naming an orthopaedic surgical theatre after her.

Her generosity was not limited to the former British colony alone. The Mayor of San Francisco once declared April 18, 1992, as well as Oct 26 the following year as “Anita Mui Day”, to honour her work in raising funds for the nursing home that bears her name.

During the height of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak early last year, Mui initiated the fund-raising 1:99 Concert at the Hong Kong Stadium to help raise spirits and money for families affected by the disease. The event raised over HK$18mil (RM9mil).

Last month, she published her book, Heart of the Modern Woman (Xian Dai Nu Ren Xin), and dedicated proceeds from the book to the Children’s Cancer Foundation of Hong Kong.

Mui went public with her illness on Sept 6 last year. At a press conference, she vowed to beat the cancer and to carry on for her fans. In November she held a series of eight concerts at the Hong Kong Coliseum, and later in the month she was in Japan to shoot a commercial. But her condition took a turn for the worse when she returned to Hong Kong and she was admitted to hospital.

Even after death, her generosity continues, as she had pledged to donate her organs upon her demise.

Despite all that she has achieved in life, Mui once said that her biggest regret was not finding her Mr Right. The talk within the industry was that Mui held a torch for Hong Kong actor/singer Andy Lau all these years, but Mui had always maintained that they were good friends, and made no secret about her fondness for him.