About Lai Man-Wai
Lived 1893 – 1953 (aged 59–60). Lai Man-Wai was a Chinese actor, film director, film producer, film actor and director.
Lai Man-wai (; September 25, 1893 – October 26, 1953), also romanised as Lay Min-wei or M.W. Ray, considered the "Father of Hong Kong Cinema", was the director of the first Hong Kong film Zhuangzi Tests His Wife in 1913. In the film, Lai played the role of the wife, partly due to the reluctance of women to participate in show business at the time.
Born in Yokohama, Japan, of Xinhui, Guangdong origin and raised in Hong Kong, he joined Sun Yat-sen's Kuomintang party in 1911 and helped make anti-warlord movies.
Biography
Lai was born in 1893 in Yokohama, Japan to Chinese parents. He grew up in Hong Kong. A Page of History (1941). Documentary. Lai Man-wai followed Sun Yat-sen during the 1920s.
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Important facts
Family & relationships
People in Lai Man-Wai's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Lai Man-Wai's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Lai Man-Wai?
Chinese actor and director (1893–1953)
When was Lai Man-Wai born?
Lai Man-Wai was born in 1893 in Japan.
When did Lai Man-Wai die?
Lai Man-Wai died on 26 October 1953 in Hong Kong.
What was Lai Man-Wai's occupation?
Lai Man-Wai was an actor, film director, film producer, film actor and director.
What nationality was Lai Man-Wai?
Lai Man-Wai was Chinese.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Lai Man-Wai. https://biography.guide/lai-man-wai/
MLA: "Lai Man-Wai." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/lai-man-wai/.
Chicago: "Lai Man-Wai." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/lai-man-wai/.
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