Wang Leehom kneels and thanks his fans at first Taiwan concert since acrimonious divorce

TAIPEI – Mandopop star Wang Leehom moved his fans by kneeling suddenly and thanking them on Saturday at the Taiwan stop of his One: Leehom Wang concert.

The Taiwanese-American singer held two concerts at the Taipei Arena on Saturday and Sunday.

On Saturday, the 47-year-old performed his song Kiss Goodbye while kneeling.

He then continued kneeling with his head and hands down for almost a minute after the song, thanking the more than 10,000 fans present.

“I would like to thank many partners and so many friends for coming,” he said. “Thank you all for supporting me. It is really a great encouragement.”

He also thanked Taiwanese veteran actress Hsu Feng, 72, a two-time Golden Horse award-winning actress, who flew from Shanghai to Taipei to attend his performance.

“I really like the movie Farewell My Concubine,” Wang said, referring to the 1993 film produced by Hsu and starring the late Hong Kong superstar Leslie Cheung.

“I have watched it 19 times and it gave me lots of inspiration, including for my song Heroes Of Earth.”

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Wang also thanked friends and family members before performing the song Forever Love.

This is his first concert in the Taipei Arena in four years and his first in Taiwan since his acrimonious divorce battle with his estranged wife Lee Jinglei in December 2021.

He performed in Las Vegas in January and in Bangkok in June.

Wang also talked about the lows in his life on Saturday.

“Life is like a combat arena, as you will not know what will appear in front of you,” he said.

“But a fighter does not have the right to make a choice. It’s you who give me the courage. I will fight for the music I love and the people who love me, even if it is a battle fought alone.”

Wang also joked about himself while touching briefly on his divorce saga.

“As for what happened recently, you know more about it than I do. Even I know what I have done only by reading the news,” he said.

“Anyway, the truth is not that important, as eyeballs are the most important.”

Wang performed about 20 songs at the concert, with Descendants Of The Dragon as his encore number. 

Among his friends spotted at the gig were Taiwanese television host Blackie Chen and his wife, singer-actress Christine Fan.

Chen, who was embroiled in Taiwan’s #MeToo movement in June, posted on Instagram Stories a video of Wang at a rehearsal, as well as two photos of the concert with the caption: “This journey is not easy. A touching night.”

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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.