The ashes of Taiwanese actress Barbie “Big S” Hsu Shi-yuan have been sent back to the self-ruled island after she died of pneumonia during a trip in Japan, with her family saying there will not be a memorial ceremony for the star.

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 aged 48, her sister said on Monday.

Hospitals and health agencies in Taiwan have reported a surge in flu vaccine inquiries after news broke that Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu died in Japan from influenza-related pneumonia.