A Netflix star had to pull out of a fan event on Sunday after an army of excited admirers turned a shopping mall into pure pandemonium, smashing through the glass doors in the process. Chinese actor Zhang Linghe, known for the platform's hits The Princess Royal and Pursuit of Jade, was due to appear at an eyewear brand event at MixC Mall in Nanning, the capital of Guangxi province.
But things quickly spiraled out of control as the doors opened, with fans surging forward, shattering glass and sending shards flying across the entrance in chaotic footage now making the rounds online. Screams rang out as the crowd pushed deeper into the mall, leaving five people injured and requiring treatment at a local hospital, according to The Paper. The outlet reported that eager fans had begun lining up outside the center hours before the event, while social media clips showed throngs of people packed outside the entrance.
The mayhem ultimately forced organizers to pull the plug, with eyewear company Molsion announcing on social media that Zhang's scheduled appearance had been canceled. The company told fans that the event schedule had been 'temporarily adjusted' in line with 'the safety requirements of relevant departments' and in order 'to protect everyone's personal safety and avoid overcrowding and uncontrollable risks'. Instead of appearing at the shopping center as planned, Zhang later joined a livestream organized by the brand, per the outlet.
The actor's studio also addressed the incident on Weibo, issuing an apology to disappointed fans who had traveled to see him. 'We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause due to the last-minute rescheduling of the brand event scheduled for today,' the statement said. 'Your safety is always our top priority and the premise for all our activities.' In a move that drew praise online, the studio also pledged to reimburse fans who had traveled to Nanning for the event. 'For fans who came to Nanning, all travel and accommodation expenses incurred due to this event, including airfare, high-speed rail tickets, hotel stays, and train fares, will be fully compensated by the artist and their studio.'
The extraordinary scenes are a testament to Zhang's soaring popularity, with the 28-year-old emerging as one of the biggest stars in China's booming television industry. He first gained widespread attention with his role in the fantasy drama Love Between Fairy And Devil in 2022 before cementing his status as a leading man in a string of hit period dramas. Since then, he has starred in My Journey To You, Story Of Kunning Palace and The Princess Royal, the latter helping introduce him to a growing international audience through Netflix. His latest series Pursuit Of Jade has proven to be another major success. In the historical romance, Zhang plays Xie Zheng, a nobleman driven by revenge after the massacre of his family. The drama surpassed a popularity index of 10,000 on Chinese streaming giant iQIYI within six days of its release. It later debuted in Netflix's Global Top 10 rankings for non-English-language shows, marking another major success for Zhang.
