He said the pair had been “reckless” by swimming in large waves without life jackets.
Liu, 36, a resident of Shenyang city in Liaoning province, said he and his family were in Dalian that day only to attend a Richie Ren concert.
Taiwanese singer Richie Ren is widely known for his compassion and sincerity. Photo: Weibo
“Don't thank me, thank Wise Man Ren,” he wrote on Douyin, adding: “Without him, I wouldn't be here.”
To Liu's surprise, Ren learned of Liu's good deed and invited him to his next concert in Shanghai in September.
On August 14, Ren thanked his “brother who saved my life” and looked for him on Douyin – the post quickly went viral, garnering over six million views on the platform.
Liu then posted in the comments section, “I recently had two dreams about being friends with you. I can't believe my dreams came true.”
“Helping other people makes me happy,” he said.
The following day, Ren posted another video, thanking Liu and warning beachgoers to stay safe.
The interaction between the fan and the idol touched many people online.
Liu is an avid fan and uses Ren's music as background music for most of the videos he posts on Douyin.
Len, 58, who is also an actor, rose to fame in 1997 with the hit song “Too Softhearted.”
He captivated legions of fans in the 1990s and early 2000s with songs like “The Sad Pacific,” “Girl Look This Way,” and “Wave after Wave.”
This evergreen star is also praised for his compassion and generosity.
Liu Zhongpeng jumped into the rough waters to rescue the father and son from the waves. Photo: Douyin
He donated money to build roads and libraries in his father's hometown of Wuhan, in central China's Hubei province, when the city was still developing in the 1990s.
When the novel coronavirus was first reported in Wuhan in 2020, he immediately donated 1 million yuan ($140,000) and 200,000 masks to the city.
An avid cyclist, Ren visited China's high mountain areas in 2013 and donated 500 bicycles to help children get to school more easily and conveniently.
Last year, it came as a complete surprise to him when a 23-year-old Chinese woman came to one of his concerts in Shenyang to thank him for saving her life 22 years ago.
It was discovered that during a concert in the city in 2001, Ren donated 30,000 yuan (US$4,200) to her impoverished family to help pay for her surgery for a congenital heart disease.
