Following news of Bai Yan’s death, our stars have taken to Instagram to pay tribute to the beloved veteran actor. The centenarian passed away at 3am yesterday morning (Aug 19) after being hospitalised for pneumonia 10 days earlier. His wake will be held at the Singapore Casket, with his funeral happening this Friday morning (Aug 23).

Bai Yan, who was fondly known as Bai Yan-shu (or Uncle Bai Yan), was well-loved by his fellow actors, most of whom grew up watching his shows. Then there were the lucky few who knew him personally — one star even received valuable marriage advice from the actor, who was married for 72 years to his wife Ye Qing.

Scroll on to read the touching tributes to Singapore's favourite grandpa.

“ I filmed a few dramas with Bai Yan-shu and we were pretty close during that time. I remember going to his house last time and gaining a deeper understanding of him. I have a lot of respect for Bai Yan-shu and his contributions to showbiz. Honestly, I am very saddened by his passing. He and his wife had a very loving relationship, until she passed away in 2016. But because of his dementia, he was not aware of his wife’s death and that was very upsetting. He is the ultimate entertainer — he can act, do acrobatics and sing. Young people these days don’t know him, but he was super famous back then.”

Ah Jie posted an old drama still along with this message on her Instagram: My Fair Ladies in 1988 was the first time I worked with Bai Yan-shu. It was also my first drama. Grandpa was very patient in teaching us and was also very personable and caring. Us newcomers are eternally grateful. We will always remember you. Thank you for bringing everyone so much happiness. Grandpa, I wish you a safe journey.

He was one of the earliest artistes, and I watched him with ('60s Singaporean comedy icons) Wang Sha and Ye Feng on TV when I was in school. I ‘knew’ him then from watching his shows, but I got to meet him in person when we worked on Luo Ma Xiang Nanyang together. He was like a benevolent elder. He had been in showbiz for so long, but he never smoked, drank or gambled. I remember him most for his work ethics — he worked well into his seventies, was never late on set, and he never left early. He never lost his temper or uttered a vulgarity. We’d always chat about our work, and I always called his wife ‘Miss Ye’ teasingly. During Chinese New Year, we’d visit him at his home. I respected and learnt so much from him.

“I heard the news of his passing from a reporter who called me in the morning. What I remember the most is Bai Yan-shu giving me tips on marriage and kids soon after (Zheng) Geping and I got hitched. When we were filming together, he used to bring us to a corner during our breaks and give us advice. We were young at that time and didn’t really understand what he was talking about. But as we grew older, his advice made sense. He is a very good elder who always thinks about his juniors. I also remember asking him why he decided to retire because at that time, he was still able to speak and act. However, he told me that he was getting old and mobility would become an issue. If he wanted to go for filming, he would need someone constantly by his side to ferry him around and he didn’t want to trouble other people like that.

“I am very sad. Bai Yan-shu was a very respected senior in our industry and is well-loved by all the artistes. He passed away at 100 years old. How many people are able to live to that age? I remember he acted as my grandfather once. Through him, I’ve learnt many things like how to act in period dramas. I also picked up life lessons from him. He taught me to be humble, professional, to focus and have a passion for this industry. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to attend the funeral as I'm filming in KL now and our schedule is very tight.

“I learnt of his death through a close friend, says Xiuhuan who tells us that she had attended Bai Yan’s wake earlier this morning (Aug 20) with Zoe Tay and Hong Huifang. He may already be 100 years old, but we’re still not ready to let go. He still seemed fine at his birthday party, so we didn’t expect him to pass on so soon. My fave memory of him was during his birthday bash. I remember his voice still being very strong and powerful as he told us stories about his younger days.

Yesterday morning, a reported called me to tell me about the news. I was out grocery shopping and I just felt utterly shocked. Thinking about it, I've been very lucky to have attended his birthday celebration back in May. It's so difficult to live until a hundred years old. And he was healthy too. He is someone I fully respect. Everyone who has met him would sing praises of him. He's a really, really good elder. You could say that he is Singapore's first celebrity. I knew him in 1977, when I had just entered the industry. At that time, he was already performing. Can you imagine? It's been over 40 years ago and we were still young. I was only in my 20s! We'd bump into each other at work, and hang out at his place with a bunch of friends. I remember we met up quite often until he started having dementia. We stopped hanging out but I still made it a point to go see him at least once a year.

Aileen Tan took to Instagram to express her grief. “My beloved senior Bai Yan-shu reunited with his loved ones early this morning. Grandpa, have a safe journey. You will be missed,” she wrote.

Priscelia Chan came across the news of Bai Yan’s death on Instagram. She tells us: “I didn’t get a chance to work with him but I grew up watching his shows. May his kind soul rest in peace.”

To watch Ch 8's tribute to Bai Yan and his long and illustrious career, click here.