“THE Assassin” star Shu Qi surprised fans and the public by announcing Saturday that she has married Hong Kong actor-director Stephen Fung. Rumors swirled for years that the two were dating, but neither had confirmed their relationship.

    Shu posted wedding photos of herself and Feng online, along with a statement that said, “Um, yes, our wedding is that simple. Um, yes, our attire was very casual. Um, yes, our decision was very sudden. ... Oh, yes, we are married.”

    The newlyweds did not give details of their nuptials, but said in the statement that there will not be any wedding banquet or parties to celebrate their marriage. The wedding photos, taken in Prague, show Shu in a simple white gown, smiling for photos with Fung, who is wearing a black suit. Other photos were of the couple in casual attire, holding up a sign that read, “Married!”

    Originally from Taiwan, Shu, 40, began her career in modeling but moved to Hong Kong in the 1990s to pursue acting. She jump-started her career with appearances in erotic films, and also appeared in the Chinese edition of Playboy magazine, but it didn’t take long for the industry to take notice of her acting skills. She received the best supporting actress award for her performance in “Viva Erotica” at the 16th Hong Kong Film Awards in 1997. In 2005, she won the best actress award at the 2005 Golden Horse Awards for portraying three different characters in Hou Hsiao-hsien’s “Three Times.”

    Fung, 42, began acting and singing in Hong Kong in the 1990s and found moderate success. In recent years, he shifted his focus to work behind the scenes. In 2012, he directed the hit kung fu film “Tai Chi 0” and its sequel, “Tai Chia Hero.” He’s the executive producer of “Into the Badlands,” a television series showing on AMC.

    Shu and Fung met on the set of the romance drama “Bishonen” in 1997 and, according to Saturday’s statement, dated for four years before tying the knot. This is the first marriage for both of them.

    Shu had dated Taiwanese actor Chang Chen and Hong Kong singer Leon Lai, while Fung had a nine-year relationship with Hong Kong singer- actress Karen Mok.(SD-Agencies)