Bernice Jan Liu is a Canadian actress, singer, and commercial model based in Hong Kong. She has previously held the title Miss Chinese Vancouver 2000 as well as Miss Chinese International 2001, the latter position bringing her fame in Hong Kong. — **QIPOLOGY** Silk Dress | **YEWN** Zi Ran Series "Peony" Rings | **YEWN** Zi Ran Series "Peony" Bangle | **YEWN** Flower Faireies Series Earrings

Perspective from a single point of view can be deceiving.

For many celebrities, the way they are represented in the media makes it impossible for the public to distinguish between truth and fiction. So often their lives are reduced to simple entertainment, served up for easy consumption.

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Our conversation with Bernice Liu proved this point almost immediately. We found her to be the very opposite of how she is portrayed in the press. We quickly understood how dedicated and diligent she is, as both an actress and entrepreneur — and how hard she’s had to work to be respected in both milieus. The quality that comes across most strongly is her grit: from overcoming the negative slant put on her by the tabloids, to overcoming a life-changing injury that completely changed her own perspective, to finally becoming an influential voice in the world of wines. But before we tell you more about her surprising choice in second careers, it’s important to trace her journey...

When she first entered the entertainment industry in Hong Kong, Bernice spoke very little Chinese, yet was required to perform and carry roles fully in Cantonese in a city far away from home. On top of this, she had to learn how to navigate and withstand the negative press coverage. For an easy-going and friendly Canadian from British Columbia, it was difficult to witness her newsworthiness that focused solely on her romantic life and not on her talent, intellect or achievements.

蝴蝶之所以令人感動，是牠一次又一次的變身。從毛毛的黑，蛻變成柔軟的綠，再化成堅強的蛹，最後用最大力氣破繭成蝶！縱然前路茫茫，成長過程與黑暗作伴，蝴蝶從不徬徨，也不憂傷，只專注做好當下，一再蛻變，活出繽紛。這像極廖碧兒（Bernice Liu）的故事。

網上搜尋器中的廖碧兒：土生土長加拿大人、國際華裔小姐冠軍、電視演員、星途半紅不黑、緋聞不絕，近幾年彷彿在香港娛樂圈失去足跡。然而，這十多年默默耕耘，Bernice早已跨越娛樂圈、演藝界。她在另一界別地位舉足輕重，影響力足以奪得「環球影響力大獎」，這報導亦登上美國《福布斯》雜誌。

你可會問，她有如此大影響力嗎？Bernice是中國香港被邀出席康城影展《環球影響力大獎2021》的第一人。這個世界性盛會涉獵近二億人，集合了世界各地電影、時尚、美容等行業中之頂尖網紅。得獎者的影響力橫跨Instagram、YouTube、Facebook跟TikTok等等。

在著名電視節目監製和國際活動主辦人Sasha Waseem的協助下，Bernice憑著微博、微訊和抖音的獨特性，與一眾世界網紅齊名，成為了首位華人，獲頒「環球跨國界葡萄酒界別影響力大獎」，同時讓世界進一步認識中國及香港社交平台的價值，為中國人、亞洲人、加拿大人爭光。

滴酒不沾的釀酒師

你沒有讀錯！是葡萄酒界別！很少人知道，Bernice是葡萄酒達人。演員以外，她是獲獎無數的釀酒師、精品酒莊主人、專業品酒師、餐飲企業掌舵人。她的成就甚至惠及邦交，得到加拿大政府肯定，授勛《英女王登基60週年鑽禧紀念勳章》，獲得此殊榮的名人包括樂壇

小天王Justin Bieber，及後更被加拿大領事館邀請成為《加拿大建國150周年大使》。「我釀造的酒命名為Bellavizio，意思是美麗的誤差。因為我和葡萄酒的邂逅，本身也是一個美麗的誤差，所以用了這個名字。」，Bernice分享了她與葡萄酒故事。難以置信的，是她曾患酒精過敏，而滴酒不沾。直至十多年前，機緣巧合下到了美國Napa Valley，那時她對葡萄酒一無所知，但因迷戀化學而被葡萄酒的釀造過程吸引，並產生釀造屬於自己葡萄酒的念頭，這也是葡萄酒旅程的開端。

A Unique Family Story and Untold Chinese-Canadian History

Let’s start with a fun fact that not many people know: In 2012, Bernice Liu was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. This honour makes her the only Chinese Canadian in the entertainment field to achieve this recognition. It is one of the highest distinctions in Canada, and was created in 2012 to commemorate the Queen’s 60th year on the throne. This revelation made us need to know more: besides birthright and pride as a Canadian, what did she do to earn this? And what continues to connect her to Canada?

Born in Prince Rupert, a northern port city in British Columbia located near the Alaskan panhandle, Bernice grew up in a small community with less than 20,000 residents. Her grandfather was one of the earliest Chinese to arrive in Canada and worked on the railroad. Because of the geographical location of her childhood home, she built meaningful relationships with the Native community of Tsimshian People of the Pacific Northwest. She learned about First Nations culture, such as button blanket making, tribal dance, and language. In fact, she was able to speak the Tlingit/Haida language before she even began to grasp Chinese. She was able to communicate fluently with her friends in the Indigenous community since childhood. She remembers the Tsimshian community as friendly, caring people who treated her family so well. It was they who encouraged her dad to finally open a proper restaurant as they loved his Chinese cooking. Their support meant a lot and word spread quickly to the many neighbouring communities on surrounding islands; these groups became their main clientele at the restaurant.

Growing up in a minority group, Bernice learned about her family’s immigration history through her grandfather’s stories. She was appalled that none of the literature taught in schools included the contributions of thousands of Chinese people towards the railway and other key infrastructures across the country. The systemic racism which kept these important facts out of schoolbooks may not be new, but was still shocking to Bernice. Determined to right this wrong, she rolled up her sleeves and got to work with other equally-passionate advocates to get Chinese-Canadian history — “even if only one sentence!” — integrated into the textbooks at all public schools in Canada. This was a laborious process, because in order to be recognized and acknowledged, the research team she was part of first had to find documentation of the Chinese workers and to prove both a) their existence and b) the jobs they held. Since immigration at the time was not as detailed as it is today, many official records were lost or too damaged to read.

Thanks to a government grant, Bernice and her team were able to achieve their purpose and ensure that this historical narrative was not lost. Students across Canada now learn about atrocities like the Chinese Exclusion Act, the Head Tax and how the early Chinese settlers — quite literally — helped build the country. For Bernice, this was some of the most meaningful work she’s ever done and adds, “It is very important for citizens to see themselves and their families in the history of our country. If these perspectives aren’t shared, then there is a limited depth of connection between cultural heritage and the Canadian story.”

橡木桶斑蝶翩翩

沒有任何葡萄酒相關背景的Bernice，無意中進入了葡萄酒這個行業，她說：「自己十分幸運，遇到無數的貴人及名師，令我很快知曉釀造葡萄酒的奧秘。」其釀造的作品很快得到業界認同，殊榮包括：Sakura日本女士專屬葡萄酒大賽中勇奪雙金大獎（93分），同時Bernice於該比賽中成為頭十名優秀女釀酒師之一；《2012年全球女性葡萄酒大賽》金獎；《2012年品醇客Decanter》亞洲葡萄酒大賽銅獎；《2018年品醇客世界葡萄酒獎》銀質獎章（90分），《2021國際女性葡萄酒及烈酒業界大獎》金章及銀章。

一路走來，不斷學習，Bernice現在是一位真正懂酒、並全心熱愛葡萄酒的釀酒師。每年，她會親自到自己在法國波爾多的葡萄園，協助收割葡萄。從發酵、釀酒、盲品、調酒等過程她都參與其中，甚至連酒標設計都是她的傑作！她分享：「釀酒過程就如人生，會遇到始料不及的變化與誤差。過程中每個步驟的細微調整，都可能影響到葡萄酒最終的色、香、味、層次。究竟最後是預期還是驚喜，往往要數年後開瓶才知，那期待令我興奮。」人生就是這樣，永遠要事過境遷，才看懂上天的安排。

Turning Point: Life-Changing Injury

In 2010, while filming a television series in Hong Kong, Bernice ran in heels for a scene and fell into a pothole on Pedder Street. This accident resulted in a major fracture to her back that caused her to temporarily lose the ability to walk. Even now, she refers to this as the loneliest and scariest time of her life. Months of rehabilitation and physiotherapy to learn to walk again challenged every perception she had of herself. She went from a healthy, fit, strong actress and dancer to someone who couldn’t even bathe herself without help. She had never faced a physical or emotional challenge like this before.

Not surprisingly, this experience caused her to also re-examine her industry relationships, both in the aftermath of her accident and during the long road to recovery. Thankful for the good friends who lifted her (both literally and spiritually), she was also shocked by the silence and absence of others. Alas, as it happens so often, life’s hardest hurdles either break you or make you stronger. Bernice chose the latter. As she reflects back on that time now, she says, “Things always work out and, no matter what happens, sometimes those hard times teach us something we couldn’t have learned otherwise.”

Transformation

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Like the metamorphosis from a caterpillar to butterfly, (coincidentally her favourite creature in nature), Bernice took time away from her work to heal. During this phase of her life, she spent time back in her home on the Canadian West Coast in the embrace of her home country, the love of her family and the serene beauty of British Columbia. It was in this cocoon of warmth and healing that she was able to breathe and slow down from the fast-paced life she had in Hong Kong.

As she got better, she had the chance to visit the beautiful Okanagan Valley and was able to enjoy the amazing wines produced in that region. Even more than that, she became fascinated with the entire process of making wine. Little did she know that what started out as a curiosity would become one of her greatest passions and would be the start of a whole new adventure in her life.

熱愛會讓你走得更遠

Bernice聲明：「釀酒於我來說，是熱愛，是嗜好，而非職業。這激情企劃還有一個目的，是慈善 — 幫助有需要的兒童及動物。多年前，初踏葡萄酒界不久，我贊助了一瓶2010 Bellavizio Bordeaux Rouge用以慈善拍賣，竟籌得高達25萬人民幣。我相信名人效應對此產生了一點影響，所以我希望以自己的影響力，令更多人關注弱勢群體。」

新冠疫情期間，大中華地區餐飲行業受到重創，葡萄酒行業牽連甚大。Bernice決定發揮小宇宙，運用影響力，設立Wine Maven葡萄酒銷售網站，增加行內人士展示產品的渠道；同時，更開設YouTube頻道及各大社交平台的即場播放，以雙語、或中英法三語，介紹葡萄酒的資訊、品酒的知識、專訪全世界各地釀酒師的故事，務求令群衆與葡萄酒拉近距離。Bernice亦接受ViuTV的邀請，首次創作並主持《是滴是友》，一個葡萄酒清談節目。葡萄酒讓她以另一種方式表達自己，回饋世界。

A New Decade, A New Chapter in wine

SPONSORED BY THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC TRADE OFFICE OF TORONTO

By the time you read this article, Bernice will have celebrated eleven years in the wine industry. To commemorate the tenth anniversary of her award-winning wine Bellavizio, she released a special edition bottle featuring a butterfly on the label — a fitting metaphor and beautiful reminder of her transformation. Bellavizio is being increasingly recognized by experts in the industry, and recently took home Gold and Silver Medals at the 2021 Women’s Wine & Spirits Awards.

Last year, Bernice was invited to the Cannes International Film Festival, where she received a World Influencer and Blogger Award. Sharing the global stage with winners like Lifetime Achievement Award winner Coco Rocha, Bernice was delighted to be recognized internationally for her sommelier platform. She connected with and supported winemakers during the pandemic when countries were shut down and expos cancelled. She bridged a way to communicate between the chateaux, wineries and wine enthusiasts. Not only did the content entertain and educate people on wine, she supported winemakers through a tough year.

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She is using her increasingly respected platform to elevate, educate and inform her fellow Asians, as there is still a lot to learn about wine (especially reds). On a weekly basis, Bernice pours her efforts into live broadcasts on social media and her YouTube channel to discuss and spotlight wines and the wine industry. Her characteristic enthusiasm and leadership has, without doubt, added to the increased interest in wines in the Asian market, both in Hong Kong and worldwide.

Bernice continues to dedicate herself to both her careers and passionately brings them together to create a unique and noteworthy portfolio of work. She remains productive in Film & Television, as an actress, model, host and influential voice. Recently, with the new channel VIUTV, she is also a wine show host and contributes time as a panelist to empower other women in the industry.

With her dreams picking up momentum, she is one we encourage you to watch, but from a new vantage point. At every turn of her life, Bernice was able to change perspectives and dedicate herself to being the best version of herself. She strives to help others, especially fellow women, discover new perspectives and unlock their own potential. Like the meaning behind the name of her wine label, she says, “Life is a series of beautiful flaws. There is beauty at every stage of learning and growth if we choose to embrace it.”

愛給她勇氣

大眾認識的Bernice，是華裔小姐冠軍。當年，這學霸正就讀預醫科第三年，她自嘲，這麼大個子能夠在選美比賽中勝出，可算是一個異數。后冠讓她有走進香港娛樂圈的機會，當她仍在考慮時，教授提醒她道，有些機遇人生裏可能只得一次，應該好好把握。就這樣，Bernice懷著一夥加拿大小鎮女孩獨有的單純之心，走進了沒有人脈、非自己語言的新世界。因為她的不一樣，語言的不通，言談舉止很多時受到負面評價，她選擇不回應，只顧盡力做好自己。十多年前，拍劇時的一場意外，令Bernice喪失走路能力，給她有機會在日夜顛倒的工作中停下來，重新審視自己的人生和價值。這次意外，讓她感受到什麼是真正的愛、誰人是敵是友。別人眼中的不幸，原來是恩賜。今天再大的事，明年就已成故事，我們最多也就是個有故事的人。廖碧兒讓我們明白觀點決定大局的道理，誤差其實是上天最好的安排！