Donnie Yen’s wife and model Cissy Wang found herself sparking the wrath of nationalistic Chinese netizens after giving her two cents about the fire at the Hung Fuk Yuen building in Tai Po, Hong Kong.
The issue sparked when Cissy posted on social media on 28 November, blaming mainland-made protective netting for the Hong Kong fire. She dismissed the notion that the bamboo scaffolding caused the fire and said that the main reason for the rapid spread of the fire was that the contractor “cut corners and used substandard Chinese flammable protective netting and foam sealant used to seal the windows.”
She also pointed out that data shows bamboo itself is not flammable and urged the public not to blame the bamboo scaffolding.
The post sparked attacks from Chinese netizens, who argued that Cissy should not criticise the poor quality of products made in mainland China. They also questioned her motives and intentions, and said, “Donnie Yen is a big star and a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, and she, as Donnie Yen’s wife, has very problematic thinking.”
In response, Cissy quickly deleted the post and apologised on Weibo, admitting that her remarks were inappropriate and that she had not considered public sentiment.
On 26 November, a level-5 fire, the worst since 1996, broke out at the aforementioned building in Tai Po, Hong Kong. Fueled by strong winds, the fire spread rapidly, igniting seven of the estate’s eight residential buildings and trapping many residents, leaving thousands homeless.
(Photo Source: Reuters, Cissy Wang IG)