Singer Leehom Wang gets 39 stitches after stage cable trip in China, sparking safety concerns

Taiwanese-American singer-songwriter Leehom Wang continued his concert despite suffering from sudden injuries that later required 39 stitches to his face and ear, winning him widespread applause but raising concerns over stage safety.

In the early hours of July 5, Wang posted images of his injured face, reporting that he was given 27 stitches to his ear and 12 stitches to his face at a hospital in Chengdu, in southwestern China’s Sichuan province.

The 50-year-old musician tripped over a safety harness that had earlier lowered him onto the stage during the Chengdu concert the evening before. He said he had fallen onto his left ear, right on the edge of the metal stage.

He was wearing a hard in-ear monitor, which shattered his auricular cartilage, and caused severe bleeding.

The accident happened during Wang’s first song, but he did not halt the show, and continued his performance for hours, wearing the monitor instead in his right ear.