Hong Kong singer and actor Andy Lau Tak-wah narrowly avoided a potential accident during his concert in Shenzhen on September 9, sparking national concerns about his safety. The 62-year-old Cantopop icon was fully immersed in his performance when a trapdoor suddenly opened on stage.
Footage circulating online shows the moment when Lau, unaware of the danger, stepped forward and nearly fell into the open trapdoor. He managed to catch himself just in time, dropping to his hands and knees to avoid the fall. Fans gasped in relief as Lau, ever the professional, maintained his composure by playfully kicking his legs while lying on the stage.
Concert staff quickly came to his aid, with one reaching out from below the trapdoor and another providing a towel. Lau briefly left the stage to get his injured finger bandaged but soon returned to finish the show. Addressing his fans, Lau apologized, saying, “I promised to stay safe and healthy for you all, but now my finger is hurt. I’m sorry.”
The incident went viral on mainland social media, with fans expressing concern for Lau’s well-being. One fan commented, “Lau is so focused on his performance that he forgets about his own safety.” Others criticized the concert management, noting that the trapdoor should not have opened during the performance.
This was not the first near-accident during Lau’s tour. In July, he experienced two close calls: nearly falling off an elevated platform in Shanghai and almost stepping off a 3-meter-high stage in Beijing. Lau reassured fans after the Shanghai incident, saying, “I’ll take better care of myself. There will not be a next time.”
An industry insider suggested that flaws in stage design and poor management were to blame for these recurring incidents. Despite these challenges, Lau’s tour has been a massive success, with the Shenzhen concert marking the final stop of his mainland comeback after a decade.
Following the concert, Lau posted a message on Weibo thanking fans and confirming his next performance in Macau on October 3. While some fans have expressed concern over his intense schedule, others continue to support him, with one fan stating, “Lau will always be our King of Cantopop. We will sing with him till he is 120 years old.”
Stage safety in China has come under scrutiny in recent years, especially following a July 2022 incident in which a video panel fell during a concert by the boy band Mirror in Hong Kong, leaving one dancer paralyzed.
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