Taiwanese artist Ma Jingtao, who rose to fame for his performances in Qiong Yao dramas and has been developing his career in China in recent years, caused a stir on June 21 during a live performance in Hangzhou, Zhejiang. Ma momentarily lost focus in his eyes while on stage and later collapsed in front of the camera, hitting the back of his head on the ground, leaving fans shocked. Staff rushed to the stage to check on him, while the female host urgently shouted, “Cut the broadcast, cut the broadcast.”
A viral video circulating online showed Ma Jingtao dressed in heavy ancient costume for his live broadcast at Song City in Hangzhou, where he was performing energetically in the style of his early role as “Zhang Wuji” in the TV series “The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber.” However, during the performance, he suddenly appeared disoriented with a pale face and noticeably shaky movements, attempting to maintain balance by placing his hand on the host’s shoulder.
Despite Ma’s abnormal behavior, the female host did not notice and continued interacting closely with both online and offline audiences. As Ma swayed and eventually fell backwards, hitting his head on the ground with a loud thud, the chaotic scene unfolded.
Staff quickly rushed to help him up as he sat on the ground in pain. Amid the confusion, the female host turned towards Ma in shock, calling out “Brother, brother,” before shouting into the camera, “Cut the broadcast, cut the broadcast.” Concerned netizens speculated that the incident may have been due to heatstroke, commenting, “With such hot weather and heavy clothing, he must have suffered from heatstroke!”
According to reports from Chinese media, Ma Jingtao had participated in four consecutive days of live streaming, known as “product promotion through live streaming,” before collapsing. On the day of the incident, the temperature in Hangzhou soared to 35 degrees Celsius. Preliminary assessments suggested that dehydration combined with low blood sugar was the cause of the accident.
Netizens expressed their worries, highlighting the dangers of heatstroke and acknowledging Ma’s age of 63, stating, “At 63 years old, singing and dancing is no easy feat, especially in such high temperatures. Let’s hope Ma Jingtao, the childhood idol like Zhou Haimi from ‘Princess Pearl,’ stays safe!”
On June 22, Ma Jingtao took to Weibo to share a 21-second video apologizing and reassuring fans: “I’m truly sorry for causing concerns. Little Ma is here to let you know that I’m safe. I felt a bit dizzy due to the hot weather, but everything’s fine now. Thank you all for your care and support.”