In 1980, she became the first Chinese singer to perform in New York City's Lincoln Center.

In the early 1980s, when there was much cross-strait tension, Teng's songs were banned in China for being too "bourgeois".

But her popularity in China continued to grow, thanks to the black market.

As Teng's songs continued to be played everywhere from nightclubs to government buildings, the ban was soon lifted.

A 2009 poll in China found Teng to be the most influential cultural icon of all time.

But Teng's early years in showbiz were not smooth.

Mr Teng said that when his sister went to Hong Kong to embark on her showbiz career, she was not paid when her movie, Miss Showbiz, flopped.

And when Teng tried striking it out in Japan, she got the short end of the stick.

Mr Teng said a Japanese television station told his sister to report for filming at 6am. But when Teng arrived sometime after 5am, she was made to wait until 5pm.

For all the hours she waited, she ended up with only 10 seconds of screen time.

Yet Teng never complained, said her brother.

When she finally achieved stardom, she told her mother: "This is the result of my patience and hard work."

A memorial service was held yesterday at Teng's grave in Taipei, followed by a concert.

A musical about Teng will premiere in Hong Kong at the end of this year.

This article was first published in The New Paper.