China abuzz over fan's obsession with Andy Lau

Dark side of idol worship under harsh spotlight after suicide of fan's dad


BEIJING - A CONTROVERSIAL case of a Chinese woman whose 13-year obsession with a celebrity brought about her father's suicide has set a nation thinking about the dark side of idol worship.

Miss Yang Lijuan's dream of meeting Hong Kong superstar Andy Lau came true last Sunday at an event arranged by his fan club in Hong Kong.

But the 28-year-old from China's north-western Gansu province and her father, 68-year-old retired middle school teacher Yang Qinji, were dismayed that the star spent only a few minutes posing for photographs with her.

Early the following morning, Mr Yang drowned himself.

He left behind a 12-page letter saying he could no longer bear to watch his daughter suffer; blamed the star for his family's poverty; and wanted him to meet his daughter alone.

The case has elicited tremendous media attention across China and shocked netizens who have debated heatedly over who should be blamed for the 'tragedy'.

The incident, said one commentary in The Beijing News, also highlights the dangerous extremes of idol worship that young fans go to, which it called a frightening side-effect of a 'media-saturated society'.

A number of netizens accused celebrities such as Mr Lau of being uncaring and insensitive to fans.

But mostly, they pointed the finger at Miss Yang, calling her an 'unfilial daughter' and a 'crazy fan' who had lost touch with reality.

Others said her parents had over-indulged her and held the case up as an example of the negative effect of China's one-child policy.

Her father had borrowed money, sold their house and even attempted to sell a kidney to raise funds for trips to Hong Kong and Beijing to catch the star in concert, said local media reports.

Dr Xu Leiting, a Beijing-based psychologist, said it is normal for teens to develop such infatuations.

'It is part of the growing-up process where young people... see these famous personalities as role models,' said Dr Xu.

But in Ms Yang's case, 'there are definitely some psychological problems that have caused her and her parents to live in a fictional world', he told The Sunday Times.

The case has also turned the spotlight on the inadequacy of psychological services in China.

'If they had access to a doctor or a counsellor...this tragedy could have been prevented,' said another Beijing News commentary.

Others said it reflected the desperation of poor people who would rather sacrifice their lives than allow their children to be unhappy.

Her father's death does not appear to have rid Ms Yang of her obsession.

Back in her hometown, she told reporters she still harbours hopes of seeing her idol one more time.