DENG MINGHE, the child star who gained national fame by performing “Paper-cutting Flowers” during the CCTV Spring Festival Gala in 2013, died of leukemia at the age of 8 Tuesday.

    The boy had shown a remarkable talent for Henan opera, singing and performing since he was very young, and had won several provincial awards since 2010. He gained nationwide attention after performing in the 2013 CCTV Spring Festival Gala with his sister Deng Minglu.

    Because of his excellent performance and creativity, he was widely loved by Chinese audiences and was affectionately referred to by many as “Chinese Lucky Boy.”

    He was diagnosed with leukemia in 2013, a few days after his performance at the gala. He was cured in 2014, but the disease returned early this year, Deng’s grandfather told Chinese media.

    Deng’s death has received much attention from netizens and celebrities.

    “I was very sad for losing such a talented young child. My brother also died of leukemia at the age of 16. I sincerely hope that Deng will rest in peace in heaven and leukemia will one day become curable,” said Liuxiaolingtong, a famous actor known for playing the Monkey King in the CCTV classic drama “Journey to the West.”(Wang Yuanyuan)