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| William So’s China Comeback Halted: Wenzhou Concert Axed After Old Scandal |
Veteran Hong Kong singer William So Wing Hong has found himself back in the headlines, but not for the reasons he hoped. The 57-year-old was all set to bring his 2025 concert tour to Wenzhou, Zhejiang, this October — until netizen backlash forced organisers to pull the plug.
The problem? His two-decades-old narcotic scandal came roaring back into the spotlight.
Back in 2002, William So and Taiwanese actress Anya were detained in Taipei after being caught with ecstasy.
He spent over a week in rehab detention, and although his career took a heavy knock, he slowly rebuilt himself in Hong Kong and across Asia.
In recent years, he even managed to perform in Mainland cities without much fuss.
But when word of his Wenzhou show hit the internet, Chinese netizens pushed back hard, lodging complaints with local authorities.
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At first, Zhejiang’s cultural bureau said everything had been done “by the book” — but that only fanned the flames online.
The topic trended, outrage mounted, and by 16 September, the concert was scrapped.
The state-run People’s Daily Online later weighed in, saying cancellation was “necessary” and hinting that accountability was needed for those who approved the event in the first place.
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The commentary stressed that celebrities with drug-related pasts should not be allowed to attempt comebacks on the mainland stage.
This episode has reinforced Beijing’s zero-tolerance stance on so-called “problematic artists.”
Past mistakes, particularly involving narcotics, remain a near-permanent barrier to full rehabilitation in China’s entertainment industry — no matter how much time has passed.