HONG KONG - Former Hong Kong actress Gigi Lai shared a rare photo of herself and her tycoon husband Patrick Ma on social media, as they celebrated their 13th wedding anniversary on Tuesday (Jan 18).

Lai, 50, wrote in Chinese: "Maintaining a relationship is like growing a plant. You have to water it constantly before it grows healthily and bears fruits.

"Thirteen years of marriage is neither long nor short. Thank you for putting in the nutrients and cultivating it with me.'

She said that although her 65-year-old husband can be long-winded at times, she can feel his love and care for her.

Lai also posted a photo of a bouquet of flowersand wrote: "You personally prepare the most beautiful fresh flowers for me every year as you know I like flowers. Thank you for giving me 13 years of happiness! Happy anniversary to us!"

Dubbed the "Goddess of Beauty" by the Hong Kong media, Lai starred in TVB dramas such as The Heaven Sword & The Dragon Sabre 2000, War And Beauty (2004) and The Gem Of Life (2008 to 2009).

She retired from show business in 2008 to take care of her younger brother, who was then recovering from serious injuries after a traffic accident, and to help him run his skincare centre.

She married Mr Ma, who has a walking disability, in 2009, and they have three daughters - 11-year-old twin girls Patricia and Gianna, and Pegella, nine. Lai is now the chairman of a medical aesthetic enterprise founded by her.