---
name: "Elaine Jin Yan-Ling"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/elaine-jin-yan-ling"
fi1m_id: "elaine-jin-yan-ling"
imdb_id: "nm0157805"
tmdb_id: 103598
wikidata_id: "Q701597"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "15 December 1954"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 2
average_fi1m_score: 91
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 2
updated: "2026-09-26T03:08:21.300840+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Elaine Jin Yan-Ling

## Identity

Elaine Jin Yan-Ling

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/elaine-jin-yan-ling
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** elaine-jin-yan-ling
- **IMDb ID:** nm0157805
- **TMDB ID:** 103598
- **Wikidata ID:** Q701597
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elaine_Jin, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q701597, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0157805/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/103598

Actor. Born 15 December 1954 in Taipei, Taiwan.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 15 December 1954, Taipei, Taiwan
- **Active:** 1991–2000
- **Also known as:** Chin Yen-ling, Eline Chin, Yin-Ling Chin, Yanling Jin, Elaine Kam, Yin-Ling Kam, Yin-Nei Kam, Elaine Kam Yin-Ling, 金燕玲
- **Frequently works with:** [Edward Yang](https://film.one/person/edward-yang.md)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 91, as actor, over 2 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1990s 90 (1), 2000s 92 (1)
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elaine_Jin, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q701597, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0157805/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/103598

## Fi1m on Elaine Jin Yan-Ling

> Elaine Jin Yan-Ling gives family dramas a quiet emotional weight without making every feeling explicit. We rate her work with Edward Yang especially highly: his patient ensembles let her make a mother or wife matter beyond the demands of the plot.

In *Yi Yi* (2000), Elaine Jin Yan-Ling leaves enough unsaid for us to watch Min-Min’s face rather than wait for the next line. Wu Nien-jen’s NJ has a similar reserve, yet the two performances never feel interchangeable. We were moved by her, because Jin lets us sense Min-Min’s strain without spelling out every feeling. Yang’s interest in everyone on screen makes that approach possible. We would start here.

Her Hong Kong career took shape in supporting roles during the 1980s, before the first of her three films with Yang. *A Brighter Summer Day* (1991) was followed by *A Confucian Confusion* (1994) and *Yi Yi*. Those collaborations sit alongside work in Hong Kong crime and social dramas, rather than accounting for the whole career. What interests us across that work is her contribution to an ensemble: she can convey strain without making everyone else’s troubles seem less important.

In *A Brighter Summer Day*, she plays the mother, a teacher whose mainland qualifications are not recognised. Chang Kuo-Chu’s father believes in exams, which makes her situation a pointed complication within the family. Jin suits a film that asks us to keep track of so many lives without insisting that each person announce what they represent. Her contribution helps the household matter within the wider account of a schoolboy and the gangs around him.

Later maternal parts include May in *Port of Call* (2015) and Tung’s Mother in *Mad World* (2016), with *The Last Dance* (2024) carrying the career into another decade. We would welcome more chances to see her outside those family duties, rather than mistake familiar casting for a limit on what she can do. The caveat with her quieter work is that it needs time and an attentive film around it. Even *Yi Yi* has stretches we find overextended, but Min-Min earns the attention Yang gives her. Set aside the evening for that one.

## Biography

Elaine Jin Yan-ling, also credited as Elaine Kam or under variant spellings including Chin Yen-ling and Yin-Ling Chin, is a Hong Kong–Taiwanese actress. She was born on 15 December 1954 in Taipei, Taiwan, and began her career in Taiwan in 1973 before moving to Hong Kong in 1981.

She is known for supporting roles in films including *A Brighter Summer Day* (1991) as Mother, *Yi Yi* (2000) as Min-Min, *Gorgeous* (1999), *Port of Call* (2015) and *Mad World* (2016). Jin has received multiple awards for her performances, including four Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Supporting Actress for *Love Unto Waste* (1986), *People's Hero* (1987), *Port of Call* (2015) and *Mad World* (2016), and two Golden Horse Awards for Best Supporting Actress.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org.*

## On Fi1m (2)

- *Yi Yi* (2000), Fi1m 92, as Min-Min — [page](https://film.one/film/yi-yi.md)
- *A Brighter Summer Day* (1991), Fi1m 90, as Mother — [page](https://film.one/film/a-brighter-summer-day.md)

## Complete filmography (116)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Bird of Paradise* (2026), Actor
- *I Blew Out the Candles Before Making a Wish* (2026), as Chon
- *Pace* (2026), as Sally
- *The Snowball on a Sunny Day* (2026), as Kam Muiday / Grandma
- *破·地獄：感恩特别版* (2025), as 曾淑莲
- *The Last Dance* (2024), as Lin
- *Ready O/R Rot* (2023), as Guy's Mother
- *Where the Wind Blows* (2023), as Lui Hang-Wah
- *Super Me* (2021), Actor
- *Why Watch Yi Yi: A One and a Two...* (2020), as Min-Min (archive footage) (uncredited)
- *Guilt by Design* (2019), as Mrs. Lau
- *Midnight Diner* (2019), as Aunt Lian
- *Spring Tide* (2019), as Ji Minglan
- *I Bet Your Pardon* (2019), series, as Ding Ling
- *House of the Rising Sons* (2018), Actor
- *About Youth* (2018), as Shi-Chun’s Mother
- *29+1* (2017), as Elaine
- *L for Love, L for Lies Too* (2016), as Elaine
- *Mad World* (2016), as Mother
- *My Egg Boy* (2016), Actor
- *Summer's Desire* (2016), Actor
- *Buddy Cops* (2016), as Giu
- *Port of Call* (2015), as May
- *A Tale of Three Cities* (2015), as Yuerong's Mother
- *潘多拉的秘密* (2015), series, as Gao Quan
- *Monster Hunt* (2015), as Grandma
- *The House That Never Dies* (2014), Actor
- *Beijing Love Story* (2014), as Xue Aijia
- *寻你到天涯* (2013), series, as 赵慧芳
- *The Legend of the Purple Hairpin* (2013), series, as Zheng Jing Chi
- *A Complicated Story* (2013), Actor
- *Finding Mr. Right* (2013), as Mrs. Huang
- *Beautiful 2013* (2013), Actor
- *阿蘇出駕* (2013), series, Actor
- *The Viral Factor* (2012), as Jon's Mother
- *年少無知* (2012), series, Actor
- *When Heaven Burns* (2011), series, as Yung Cheuk Wah (Brenda)
- *33 Postcards* (2011), as Miss Chen
- *Off Pedder* (2008), series, as Ka So San (Susan)
- *Lost in Beijing* (2007), as Wang Mei
- *Brothers* (2007), Actor
- *Best Selling Secrets* (2007), series, as Ng Hang
- *The Romantic Fool* (2007), Actor
- *Three of a Kind* (2004), as Barbra
- *Love Storm* (2003), series, as 美云姐
- *Hidden Whisper* (2000), Actor
- *Yi Yi* (2000), as Min-Min — Fi1m 92, [page](https://film.one/film/yi-yi.md)
- *The Island Tales* (2000), as May
- *Metade Fumaça* (1999), as Smokey's Mother
- *Tempting Heart* (1999), as Sheo-rou's Mother
- *Gorgeous* (1999), as Bu's Mother
- *City of Glass* (1998), Actor
- *Love & Let Love!* (1998), as Cliff's Mother
- *The Soong Sisters* (1997), as Madam Soong
- *Mahjong* (1996), as Mother of Red Fish
- *A Confucian Confusion* (1994), as Auntie
- *Moonlight Boy* (1993), as Grandmother
- *Heart Against Hearts* (1992), as Elaine
- *A Brighter Summer Day* (1991), as Mother — Fi1m 90, [page](https://film.one/film/a-brighter-summer-day.md)
- *Best Friend of the Cops* (1990), as Yun Ying Mei
- *Maybe Next Time* (1989), Actor
- *Running Mate* (1989), Actor
- *What A Small World* (1989), Actor
- *Seven Warriors* (1989), as Ching-Ching
- *Wild Search* (1989), as Elaine Lee
- *I Am Sorry* (1989), as Li Ya Wen
- *Chinese Cop Out* (1989), Actor
- *They Came to Rob Hong Kong* (1989), as Councillor Chu
- *Set Me Free!* (1988), Actor
- *Her Vengeance* (1988), as Fong Hung
- *King of Stanley Market* (1988), as May
- *Heart to Hearts* (1988), as Auntie Jane
- *Diary of a Big Man* (1988), as Cheng's Supervisor
- *Couples, Couples, Couples* (1988), as Dauphne Huang
- *People's Hero* (1987), as Lotus
- *Soul* (1986), as Gi Gi
- *Love Unto Wastes* (1986), as Liu Yuk-Ping
- *Dream Lovers* (1986), as Nam's Wife
- *The Seven Angels* (1985), as Night club hostess
- *Dead Curse* (1985), Actor
- *Women* (1985), as Zhu Lin-Lin
- *Those Merry Souls* (1985), as Waterloo Tai
- *Friendly Ghost* (1985), Actor
- *Cop Busters* (1985), Actor
- *Ninja Strike* (1985), Actor
- *Double Decker* (1984), as Mrs. Cheung
- *Pale Passion* (1984), as Ah Hsing
- *Wrong Wedding Trail* (1984), as Shing's rebound bride
- *I Love Lolanto* (1984), as Mrs Yu Ren Da
- *Silent Romance* (1984), as Maltesa's sister-in-law
- *Love in a Fallen City* (1984), as Louise
- *香江歲月* (1984), series, Actor
- *101 Citizen Arrest (II)* (1984), series, Actor
- *A Friend from Inner Space* (1984), as Jenny
- *Prince Charming* (1984), as 仁妻
- *Maybe It's Love* (1984), as Lin
- *Obsessed* (1983), Actor
- *Sandwiches* (1983), series, Actor
- *The Lost Generation* (1983), as Mrs Lisa Tsun
- *Let's Make Laugh* (1983), as Taiwanese Girl
- *The Sensational Pair* (1983), as Dior's sister
- *Play Catch* (1983), as Billion's killer
- *The Black Magic with Buddha* (1983), Actor
- *Carry On Police* (1982), Actor
- *Fool's Paradise* (1982), series, Actor
- *He Lives by Night* (1982), as Suzie
- *The Wandering Life* (1975), Actor
- *Pretty Swindler* (1975), Actor
- *雌雄變* (1975), Actor
- *The Devil in Her* (1974), as Law Hung
- *Women of Desire* (1974), as Feng Ling-Ling
- *My Darling Slave* (1974), as Ah Ho's Lover
- *The Virgin Mart* (1974), as Qing Lan
- *Mother Tongue*, Actor
- *北京遇上西雅图*, series, as Sister Zong
- *Good Death*, Actor

## Gallery

- ![Elaine Jin Yan-Ling](https://film.one/media/person/3928408/gallery-13e80f24dfbd.jpg) Elaine Jin Yan-Ling — 謝佳璋, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/%E7%AC%AC53%E5%B1%86%E9%87%91%E9%A6%AC%E7%8D%8E%E6%9C%80%E4%BD%B3%E5%A5%B3%E9%85%8D%E8%A7%92_%E9%87%91%E7%87%95%E7%8E%B2.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Elaine Jin Yan-Ling](https://film.one/media/person/3928408/gallery-b32cfd297eff.jpg) Elaine Jin Yan-Ling — Image via TMDB
- ![Elaine Jin Yan-Ling](https://film.one/media/person/3928408/gallery-c97d3ab16179.jpg) Elaine Jin Yan-Ling — Image via TMDB

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© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/elaine-jin-yan-ling