Jet Li appeared to be in much better health at a recent awards ceremony in southern China.
Diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, the martial arts legend worried fans when he looked frail in a photo that went viral last year.
However, Li seemed to be doing much better on Monday night at Alibaba’s 2018 Rural Teacher Awards in Sanya, Hainan province, the South China Morning Post reported.
In pictures, the 55-year-old star is seen having a good time with company founder Jack Ma.
The event recognizes teachers and principals who have made significant contributions to rural education — a subject Ma has been passionate about in recent years.
According to Sina News, each of the 100 award-winning teachers will receive 100,000 yuan ($14,800) in cash and professional improvement training, while each of the 20 award-winning principals will get 500,000 yuan ($74,000) in support, as well as international study tours and leadership training.
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Li attended the same event last year, but his recent photos suggest that he is in much better shape.
He also graced the stage to present awards to the winning teachers.
Fans easily spotted the stark contrast between his current appearance and his viral photo at a Chengdu temple in May 2018.
At the time, Li looked particularly weak, aged and nearly bald with thinning hair.
“There’s nothing wrong with him, there’s no life-threatening illness, he’s in great shape,” Steven Chasman, Li’s manager, told reporters in response to concerns.
“If you took a picture of me at the wrong angle and wrong time of the day, I could look frail as well.”
Also known as Graves’ Disease, hyperthyroidism is the overproduction of the thyroid hormone, which plays a role in metabolism, according to the American Thyroid Association.
An excess of the thyroid hormone results into increased metabolism, leading to an array of symptoms such as nervousness, irritability, sweating, heart racing, hand tremors, anxiety, difficulty sleeping, thinner skin, fine brittle hair, weakness, and weight loss.
Li returns to the big screen in Disney’s live-action remake of “Mulan” next year.
