Rosamund Kwan was once described as the most beautiful woman in Hong Kong, but recent photos of the retired actress, who turned 57 on Tuesday (Sept 24), have made many netizens bemoan the passing of her looks.

Kwan is known for her role as Thirteenth Aunt in The Once Upon A Time In China film series (1991 to 1997), the love interest of martial arts legend Wong Fei Hung, played by Chinese actor Jet Li.

Kwan, who was 28 when she first played Thirteenth Aunt, threw a birthday celebration last weekend and posted several photos of the party on her Instagram account.

While the actress was all smiles in the photos, netizens pointed to how haggard she looked, especially in a picture she took with action star Donnie Yen.

Kwan looked haggard and smiled stiffly in the photo, with crow's feet visible on her face. Netizens added that Yen, who turned 56 in July, looked much younger than her.

Kwan, whose father is the late famous actor Kwan Shan, retired from acting in 2009 and was involved in charity activities and turned to property investments after her divorce from Taiwanese businessman Pierre Chen in 2015. She launched her own fashion brand in 2016.

The reactions to Kwan's recent photos are a far cry from comments about other actresses in their 50s. Joey Wong, 52, Yvonne Yung, 51, and Irene Wan, 53, have all been praised recently for maintaining their good looks despite their age.