Li Yu's portrayal of Fang Yu in famous Taiwan novelist Chiung Yao's hit drama "Romance in the Rain". [sina.com]

The funeral for the late Chinese actress Li Yu was held on Wednesday morning in Babaoshan Cemetery in Beijing.

Li Yu, 33, died of lymphoma cancer after treatment failed, on March 14 in Beijing's Xiehe Hospital. Media reports say the actress was in a coma for 16 days before her death.

Reportedly, the illness was discovered just one year ago and she checked into hospital earlier this year.

The news of her death was astonishing to many of her friends who weren't even aware of her illness.

Chengdu Evening News quotes a close friend as saying, "Li Yu who was so keen of beauty did not want people to see she fell down with illness and hided it from all friends. We did not get a last look of her."

Li Yu was a graduate from Shanghai Theatre Academy and a classmate to popular actors Ren Quan and Li Bingbing, who were both in attendance at the funeral on Wednesday.

In 2001, Li Yu joined Vicki Zhao (Zhao Wei) and Taiwan actress Ruby Lin in famous Taiwan novelist Chiung Yao's hit drama "Romance in the Rain". She had became synonymous for her role as Fang Yu since then. Other productions of hers include TV sitcoms "The Last Concubine" and "Qia Tong Xue Shao Nian".