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.

Taiwanese actor Barbie Hsu, who rose to fame across East Asia as the romantic lead in the 2001 television drama "Meteor Garden," has died of influenza at 48, her sister said Monday.