Going star crazy

Impassioned fans of celebrities and pop idols have been cautioned about causing chaos in public spaces

For Wang Yuanyuan, being a big fan of Taiwan pop icon Jay Chou not only means going to his concerts and keeping up with his latest news, but also sleepless nights and starvation.

The 24-year-old can still recall the first time she got close to her idol - four years ago when Chou held a concert in Nanjing, Jiangsu province. Wang, along with several other fans, bought the most expensive ticket for the concert and she waited hours in the parking lot, hoping to just get a glimpse of her idol.

"When he finally walked out of the elevator, my heart was beating really fast. There were some other girls running to him, who were stopped by Chou's bodyguard. I saw him waving to us and I cried," recalls Wang, who was born and lives in Suzhou, Jiangsu province.

One of the girls told Wang that Chou would leave Nanjing the next morning so they headed to the airport at once.

"To my surprise, a large group of fans were waiting at the airport like us. Because we didn't know the exact flight information, we just waited there," Wang says. "When Chou finally arrived the next morning, fans went wild. I tried to take photos of him but the security guards were very aggressive."

Besides cities nearby her home, Wang took part in some of Chou's fans clubs and traveled to bigger cities, like Beijing and Shanghai to see him.

But she also expressed concern, noting that "there are always chaotic scenes at the airport because the number of fans at the airport could be over a hundred."

Excited fans may want to get close to their favored celebrities, and to show their affection, but some have become a threat to airport security.

According to CCTV's report on July 14, about 20 reported incidents of impassioned fans creating chaos took place at Beijing Capital Airport's Terminal 3 last year. More than 20 fans bought flight tickets in their bid to see their favorite star, blocking the boarding gate, which led to the flight being delayed for about two hours.

In a media conference held by the Civil Aviation Administration of China in June, Guo Rengang, deputy head of the administration's policy, law and regulation department, said that those who unduly disrupt flights will be given a demerit on their social credit record and could face being banned from flying for up to a year.