When she was a little girl, Hoi Siong often accompanied her grandmother to watch Chinese wayangs. As time passed, she became fascinated with chinese operas, mesmerized by the scenes before her and the beautiful artistes with their painted faces and glittering costumes. One of her favourite artistes was But Suet Seen.

At the age of 15, she started learning cantonese opera under the meticulous tutelege of Joanna Wong. She was a diligent and respectful pupil, always ready to learn. She learnt both the 'Ching Yi' (maiden / lady-like) role and the 'Dao Ma Dan' (warrior-like) role. Moreover, she gained much experience through regular performances both here and overseas. She is also capable of playing the 'Scholarly' (male scholar) role.

Years of training and scarifices paid off as she is now a lead 'hua dan' with her opera troupe and one of the top female performing artistes in Chinese operas in Singapore. She is a versatile artiste; whether it is a haughty princess, a village girl, a witty maid, a courageous warrior, an amorous woman or even a handsome scholar, she plays the role well.

In 1997 she left her comfortable job and became a full-time artiste which meant not only a reduction of income but also an uncertain future. It was a great risk for a person who normally doesn't like to take risks. Perhaps it is her passion for Chinese opera.

In 2000, she was one of the two recipients of the Outstanding Young People Award given once every two years by the Orchid Jayceettes of Singapore. It recognises outstanding young Singaporeans between the ages of 21 and 40 and focuses on the achievements of those who are good role models. The awardees will go on to vie for the world title to be held in November next year at Barcelona in Spain.

As a full-time artiste with the Chinese Theatre Circle she has a full schedule. Watching other performances which include Beijing opera, ballets, dramas and other types of operas is also a learning experience for her. It helps her to improve in her acting and presentations. In 2001 she performed full-length opera Madam White Snake in mandarin and an excerpt from Madam White Snake in malay. The year before she performed Madam White Snake in english. She said that performing a Chinese opera in other languages is not a problem although she has to memorise different scripts altogether. She hopes that more people could appreciate Chinese opera.