Belinda Lee, Chen Liping & Other Celebs Born In The Year Of The Snake

Stop stereotyping snakes as cold-blooded and treacherous.

These often misunderstood creatures can also be viewed as symbols of charm, elegance, growth, tenacity and wisdom – just ask those who are born in the Year of the Snake, like these four Singaporean celebrities.

Host-actress Belinda Lee, veteran thespian Chen Liping, actor Xu Bin and actor-singer Yang Yan tell The Straits Times which Snake zodiac traits best describe their personalities and what they wish for in the new year.

Xu Bin

Born: Feb 19, 1989

Like the quintessential Snake, actor Xu Bin exudes a magnetic, boyish charm.

It is easy to see why he plays the leading man in a long list of Channel 8 dramas, including My Star Bride (2021) and If Tomorrow Comes (2024).

And like many others born under this Chinese zodiac, he comes across as calm and composed.

“I don’t think I was as cool-headed in my younger days. Marriage and fatherhood have definitely made me a better person,” he says.

Xu, who turns 36 in February, is married to homemaker Evelyn Wang Yifei, 34. The China-born couple have a six-year-old son, Ethan, and a three-year-old daughter, Elyse. Asked if they will welcome a baby in the Year of the Snake, he says: “Oh please, no more. Two is good for us."

“Our children are finally at a more ‘manageable’ age. We don’t want to go back to the early days of caring for a baby. It’s too exhausting.”

Xu adds that they have no parental support in Singapore, so they have to be all the more hands-on with their children. “Sometimes, my wife and I would think about going on a holiday without the kids, but who can we entrust them to? We just have to abandon the idea.”

However, he did go on a one-on-one trip with Ethan to Fuzhou, China, in 2024. Xu was born and raised there till the age of 11 when he moved to Singapore for his studies.

“I had to quickly adapt to a new environment here and brush up on my English,” says Xu, who is now a Singapore citizen. 

Such adaptability is also a quality supposedly shared by those born in the Year of the Snake. The animal is associated with transformation, as they are known to shed their skin a few times a year.

Asked if there is a negative Snake personality that he identifies with, he says: “I tend to overthink situations and problems: Should I do this or that? Unfortunately, sometimes I end up coming across as being fickle-minded.” But Xu adds that certain Snake traits, such as its mysterious nature, do not apply to him.

“I’m quite an open book and am not good at bottling up my emotions, even if I wish to,” the congenial star shares. “And if people are nice to me, I will want to be twice as nice. I value relationships and kinship very much.”

This Chinese New Year, he wishes for good health for his family, especially his 60-year-old father, who had a heart bypass surgery in 2023.

Due to Xu’s work schedule and Ethan’s schooling – the boy started Primary 1 in January – his family is unable to travel to Fuzhou.

But his in-laws will be flying in from Wuhan to celebrate the festival with them. 

On the fifth day of Chinese New Year, he joined the cast and crew of Fixing Fate for two months of filming in Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh and Selangor. The 15-episode time-travel drama is slated to premiere in October on Channel 8 and mewatch.

The doting dad says he will miss doing school runs when he is away in Malaysia, but is heartened that Ethan is adjusting well to primary school life.

“He is quite independent. On the first day of school, he didn’t know how to get to his classroom and asked a ‘big brother’ to show him the way.

“I said, ‘It’s great that you took the initiative. Never be afraid to ask for help.’”

To which the boy assured him confidently: “I know, I know.”

Chen Liping

Born: Aug 22, 1965

Actress Chen Liping’s lucky number in 2025 could well be six. In the Chinese calendar, the Snake is the sixth in the 12-year cycle of animals. 

And come August, she will celebrate turning the big 6-0.

“I’m really wishing for ‘liu liu da shun’,” she says. Liu is six in Mandarin, and the Chinese saying refers to everything going smoothly.

While she sounds jovial and relaxed during the interview, the veteran thespian admits she is feeling apprehensive about striking out on her own. She left broadcaster Mediacorp in December after 40 years and is currently not signed to any agency.

Chen likens herself to a snake shedding its skin as she starts a new chapter in her career. “The entertainment industry has evolved tremendously since I joined in 1985. I’d like to think that I still have this sense of adventure, which will hopefully open doors of opportunity for me,” she says. 

She shares that she did not take long to make the decision when her employment contract expired in December. She had the blessings of her local actor-husband Rayson Tan, 60, who also left Mediacorp to become a freelance actor in October. But the decision was a surprising one to their 22-year-old son Zavier, who is studying in an overseas university.

“I did not discuss it with him as I did not want him to be worried,” says Chen, who is respectful of her only child’s privacy and declines to answer further questions about him. Which is just as well, as Snake mothers are not to be messed with, according to a 2018 study in the Journal of Zoology published by Professor Graham Alexander at South Africa’s University of the Witwatersrand.

Asked if there are Snake zodiac traits she relates to, she says: “Some may find that I’m elusive because I value my privacy, especially when it comes to my family life. I am also slow to warm up to people.”

Although she is in show business, it is not her style to be showy. Instead, she prefers to focus on honing her acting craft and keep a low profile off-screen. 

Perhaps the most iconic television character she has brought to life is from the school-set series Good Morning, Sir (1989). Chen played an enthusiastic new teacher whose nickname and signature catchphrase “Aiyoyo” has become synonymous with her.

She is looking forward to the premiere of Emerald Hill in March on Channel 8 and Mewatch, having spent almost the entire 2024 filming the 30-episode period drama. Dubbed a blockbuster series for its scale and star-studded cast including Zoe Tay and Jesseca Liu, it is a spin-off of the popular series The Little Nyonya (2008 to 2009), which traced the ups and downs of a Peranakan family.

Chen portrays a down-and-out wanderer and foster mum to protagonist Xinniang (played by rising star Tasha Low). “I felt the responsibility to guide Tasha and the eight-year-old girl who played Xinniang as a child,” she recounts.

To thrive in show business today, she knows she has to step out of her comfort zone and be more than an actress. Engaging more with her supporters, for instance, is an area she has to work on.

“It is a social media world, but I’m not very social. I’ve never had a Facebook account, and started Instagram and TikTok only because of work obligations.”

But like many others born in the Year of the Snake, she is adaptable and ready for challenges.

For starters, she will be teaming with local actress Ya Hui to raise funds for non-profit Arc Children’s Centre, which supports kids with critical illnesses.

On Feb 8 from 4 to 6pm, the pair will be serving and selling Chinese buns at Bao Bao, a takeaway shop at B4-34 Ion Orchard. All proceeds will go to the centre.

Chen says: “As a freelance actress now, there’s plenty that I have to learn, such as managing my work schedule and negotiating for projects. But I’m confident that everything is possible when we have an open heart and open mind.” 

Belinda Lee

Born: July 8, 1977

Belinda Lee quips that she can rightfully “jiak zua” – “eat snake” in Hokkien, meaning to skive – without guilt. This is, after all, the year of her Chinese zodiac, the Snake.

In fact, she encourages everyone to try it, Snake or not.

The 47-year-old host-actress says she used to equate rest with laziness, and even felt ashamed for needing a break.

“I used to always feel fatigued, until my husband corrected my mindset.”

“He said, ‘Sweetheart, you have to remember that you’ve worked so hard for years. Never ever punish yourself for resting’,” recalls Lee, who married Singapore-based American architect David Moore, 62, in 2019. The couple have no children.

“I was very moved by what he said. I had forgotten how I’ve not stopped working for more than two decades.”

Lee made her name as the first Singaporean VJ, or video jockey, on music video channel MTV Asia in 1998. At Mediacorp, she made her foray into acting and hosted large-scale live shows such as the National Day Parade in 2011. She also picked up several wins at the Star Awards, including Best Info-Ed Programme Host for the third season of Find Me A Singaporean (2013), which uncovers stories of Singaporeans doing good abroad.

Lee has not appeared on television for some time, leading some to wonder if she has quit show business. 

“I left Mediacorp in 2017, so naturally, I wouldn’t be given priority for its major projects. But I still look forward to offers of meaningful ones.” She recalls that back then, work was streaming in, but she felt lost. “I wanted to get out of this rat race to find myself again,” she says. 

These days, the bilingual star takes on hosting jobs for events and on digital platforms. For instance, she was the emcee for the Singapore Turf Club’s closing ceremony in October. She is also busy with volunteer work, such as distributing breakfast to low-income families and seniors.

Lee, who has been a goodwill ambassador for humanitarian organisation World Vision Singapore since 2014, says her passion for charity work stems from her late mother.

“When I was a child, I constantly saw my mum giving food and reaching out to the construction workers in our HDB area with the little that she had. We were not rich,” says Lee, the youngest of three siblings. “Her generosity was a very big influence in my life.”

But being empathetic and caring – two traits associated with those born in the Year of the Snake – has worked against her sometimes.  

“I tend to put the interest of others before myself. This also means I end up not loving myself enough. It can be very draining.” 

As the saying goes, one cannot pour from an empty cup. Her supportive spouse and trusted friends often remind her that she needs to take better care of herself first before helping others.

With a laugh, she says: “See, this is why I should jiak zua without guilt.”

Yang Yan

Born: March 16, 2001

You may remember the youthful Yang Yan for his television debut on Channel 8’s Stranger In The Dark (2023). His performance as a science geek in the 10-episode murder mystery won him a Star Awards nomination in 2024 for Best Rising Star, which he lost to his co-star Yunis To.

Or perhaps you recognise the 23-year-old as the sole Singaporean contestant in Starlight Boys, a South Korean-Chinese idol survival show produced by iQiyi International and SBS in 2024.

In the upcoming Year of the Snake, he wants to slither into the English music scene and have you bopping to his first solo single, which will drop on Feb 14 on major streaming platforms such as Spotify and YouTube.

As you may have guessed from the Valentine’s Day release date, it is a romantic pop number, titled I Think That I Like You, which he wrote during his three-month stay in South Korea taking part in Starlight Boys.

“We were not allowed to have our phones or go out freely. After training, I could only spend my evenings eating ramyeon, staring at the moon, then taking out my notebook to write some songs,” he recalls, adding that he did not even know where their exact accommodation was.

“All I remember was it’s a mountainous area,” he says.

Yang was one of 70 international contestants competing to debut as part of a nine-member boy band.

He may have been eliminated in the fifth episode, which aired on Nov 23, but left the show with treasured friendships and valuable lessons from famed K-pop artistes such as boy band BigBang’s vocalist Daesung, who appeared on the show as a mentor.

While the environment was regimented, “like BMT (basic military training)”, it allowed him to deep-dive into songwriting, a creative trait that is associated with those who are born in the Year of the Snake.

Yang, who plays the guitar and piano, has four more complete tracks and 10 partially written ones, which he hopes to release in the future.

Asked about his music influences, he says he listened to a lot of English-Irish boy band One Direction when he was growing up. “I feel like that sound is kind of lost these days, so I want to bring it back.”

And no, his new track is not inspired by his own love life. “It is a song that many people will be able to relate to. You know, that dreamy feeling when you’re infatuated with somebody," he shares.

Yang says he is currently single and hopes his future girlfriend will share his values. “I like people who are respectful and happy with what they are doing in life – and she has to share my sense of humour too as I can get pretty annoying sometimes,” he says with a laugh.

Yang graduated from Ngee Ann Polytechnic with a diploma in business studies. He is surprised and grateful that his father, a 59-year-old Grab driver, and his mother, a 57-year-old childcare teacher, are supportive of his career choice.

“They spent so much money on my education. I was initially afraid they would be against it because we don’t come from a rich background and being an artiste is not a financially stable job,” says Yang, an alumnus of Bowen Secondary and Montfort Junior School.

He started part-time modelling during his tertiary school days and dreamt of being in show business.

His most Snake-like trait, he says, is tenacity – and it showed when he tried ways to get an audition with NoonTalk Media when he was around 17.

He had been watching its artistes Xu Bin and the late Aloysius Pang’s vlogs on YouTube, and thought they had a fun profession.

“It just felt like a calling. I wanted to be in this line too,” says Yang, who e-mailed the local entertainment agency but did not get a response. “I was very sad.”

Then during a modelling gig, he met a stylist who linked him up with NoonTalk Media co-founder, Singaporean television host Dasmond Koh. Yang signed on with the company as a full-time artiste after completing his national service in 2023. He is keen to pursue acting as well.

In the lead-up to his song release, is he nervous about brutal comments from netizens? And will he bite back like a snake?

“I’ve been doing TikTok for fun since I was 17, and I feel the platform has trained me well,” he says.

“I’ve received all types of comments, and I’m immune to them. I don’t really care because that’s just the online culture. No words hurt me, unless they are from the people I love.”

This article was originally published on The Straits Times.