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| Liu Yuning Keeps His Promise at Every Concert by Leaving One Seat (229) Forever Empty, Now for Seven Years Running. (Weibo) |
There are sold-out arenas, thousands of screaming fans and dazzling stage effects at every Liu Yuning concert. Yet one of the most talked-about places in the venue is always the seat nobody is allowed to take. Year after year, Seat 22, Row 9 (229) remains empty, decorated with white flowers and quietly reminding everyone that some promises are not measured by ticket sales, chart rankings or trending hashtags.
The touching tradition returned once again in 2026 as Liu Yuning marked another anniversary of a promise he first made in 2019. The Chinese singer and actor shared a photo of a white rose on social media alongside the simple caption, "Someone will always stay." The message was brief, but longtime followers immediately understood who it was for.
For eight consecutive years, Liu Yuning has remembered a fan who passed away at just 17 after battling illness. Known among fellow supporters by the fan number 229, she had dreamed of attending his first solo concert but sadly never had the opportunity. Instead of letting that dream disappear, Liu Yuning decided she would always have a place waiting for her.
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| Liu Yuning Honors Late Fan With Empty Concert Seat for Eight Straight Years |
When he held his first solo concert in August 2019, he reserved Seat 22, Row 9—a reference to her fan number 229—and placed a bouquet of white roses there. Before performing the emotional song Ru Yue (As Promised), he told the late fan, "I will save you a seat at every one of my concerts. Remember to come."
It was a quiet moment inside a packed arena, proving that sometimes the loudest gestures require almost no words at all. Since then, every concert has followed the same tradition. The reserved seat is carefully prepared with a bouquet of white roses and lilies, while a glowing lightstick is placed beside the flowers.
According to those close to the production, the lightstick symbolises guiding her home, even when the venue lights are dimmed. It is a thoughtful detail that many fans only notice once someone points towards the otherwise empty chair.
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The preparation itself has also become part of the ritual. Reports say the flowers are ordered around ten days before every concert, while Liu Yuning personally checks during rehearsals that everything has been arranged properly.
Every 29 July, Liu Yuning Studio also shares another photograph of white roses to commemorate the young fan. Over the years, each tribute has featured only a handful of carefully chosen words.
Earlier messages included phrases such as "Not by my side, but forever in my heart," "The greatest beauty is having walked together," and "Longing speaks without words." This year's message, "Someone will always stay," continues that quiet tradition without ever needing lengthy explanations.
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The annual ritual has gradually become one of the most recognised stories among Chinese entertainment fans. Media outlets and online communities often describe it as a promise that has endured beyond life itself. Seat 22, Row 9 has remained remarkably unchanged. Ironically, the only seat guaranteed never to be sold has become one of the most meaningful places in the entire arena.
Newer fans admitted they had attended concerts without understanding why the seat remained empty until they discovered the explanation online. Once they learned the background, countless people described going back to old concert videos just to spot the flowers for themselves.
Even the florist responsible for preparing the bouquets reportedly only discovered the full meaning after reading discussions online. Believing for years that the arrangement was simply another backstage request, the florist later admitted becoming emotional after learning why the flowers had been ordered so consistently.
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C-netz praised Liu Yuning for keeping a promise that has now lasted nearly a decade, describing the gesture as genuine rather than performative because it has never been turned into a major publicity campaign.
There were also fans who reflected on the emotional significance of the tradition itself. Many wrote that although the young supporter never attended a single concert in person, she has somehow been present at every performance since 2019. Others felt the glowing lightstick beside the flowers had become one of the most moving images associated with Liu Yuning's tours, quietly standing out amid giant LED screens and spectacular stage productions.