Chinese actress Cheng Pei-Pei dies aged 78

Chinese actress Cheng Pei-Pei has died aged 78.

The action star, best known for her role in Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, died on Wednesday in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Cheng had been suffering from a degenerative brain disease for several years and donated her brain to medical research.

The actress' family announced her death on Facebook.

"It is with a heavy heart that we announce that the rumors are true. Our mother, Cheng Pei-pei, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her loved ones on July 17," they wrote.

"In 2019, our mom was diagnosed with a neurodegenerative, atypical parkinsonism syndrome - unofficially, corticobasal degeneration (CBD)," they continued. "It is a rare disease with symptoms similar to Parkinson's disease, however, current treatments cannot slow the progression."

Cheng's family noted that she chose to keep her diagnosis private so that she could "spend her remaining time" with her family.

The actress, dubbed the Queen of Swords, made her screen debut in 1964 and became one of the first female action stars to work with Hong Kong's iconic Shaw Brothers Studios.

Cheng made 20 films with Shaw Brothers, including Come Drink with Me, Golden Swallow and Princess Iron Fan.

She gained international fame in 2000 for her role in the Oscar-nominated Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, which also starred Michelle Yeoh. She also appeared in the 2014 British drama Lilting, opposite Ben Wishaw, and the 2017 Canadian drama Meditation Park.

Cheng's last major role was in Disney's 2020 live-action remake of Mulan, in which she played the Matchmaker.

She is survived by her four children.