From shattered glass to bathroom escape: How Zhang Linghe's rise exposed China’s toxic fan culture

Chinese fans are going crazy over Pursuit of Jade stars Zhang Linghe and Deng Kai, so much so that the crowd smashed the glass at a mall where the former was supposed to make an appearance for an event. A huge crowd had gathered to get a glimpse of the star, and the commotion led them to break the glass at the shopping centre. Linghe was in Nanning, southern China, for Molsion eyewear. As soon as the doors opened, the crowd rushed in, breaking the glass and injuring five. Videos on social media show the crazy incident with several fans outside and many more on the balconies of the mall. The event had to be cancelled due to safety reasons. Zhang's studio said everyone who travelled to see the actor would be reimbursed. Meanwhile, Molsion arranged medical check-ups for those injured.

Zhang Linghe has shot to international fame

Zhang has shot to international fame with his latest show, Pursuit of Jade, which was released this year. He plays Xie Zheng in the show, also the Marquis of Wuan. He is also known for shows like Our Generation, The Best Thing, Love Between Fairy and Devil and The Princess Royal. He had a terrifying encounter in April as well at a high-speed train station, where a throng of people surrounded him and blocked his way for close-up photos. It escalated to such levels that routine train operations were affected, and the huge crowd posed a security scare. Zhang's management company filed a police complaint, saying the behaviour was illegal and crossed moral boundaries.

Deng Kai hides in a toilet at an airport to escape fans

Another actor from the show, Deng Kai, who plays Qi Min, also faced a major scare at an airport a few weeks ago. A huge crowd surrounded him, pushing mobile phones into his face for close-up photos. He had to ultimately seek refuge inside the toilet with his security team. Some people even followed him on the plane, leading Deng to get extremely angry.

Toxic Chinese fan culture

Chinese fan culture has been dubbed as extremely toxic. The increasingly obsessive celebrity fans chase celebrities without bothering about the security scare they are causing for their stars. Such scenes have become common, and social media videos even show some of the stars breaking down. Fandoms have also been accused of stalking, cyberbullying and spreading rumours to support their stars and bring down others. China's internet watchdog released a 10-point plan a few years ago to stop the dissemination of "harmful" information in celebrity fan groups.