Photo of the internet celebrity “Zhongyuanhuangge” from Central China’s Henan Province. Web

Recently, the death of an internet celebrity "Zhongyuanhuangge" from Central China's Henan Province due to excessive drinking has sparked heated discussion online.

According to the Southern Metropolis Daily, a friend of the influencer surnamed Zhao confirmed the news on Monday, saying that the incident likely happened on June 2. The 26-year-old was reportedly drinking one kilogram of baijiu within 20 seconds.

Previous live footage showed that Zhongyuanhuangge often downed his shot in one gulp, and appeared very calm after drinking. To test the authenticity of the liquor, he dipped it in a paper towel and lit it on fire before drinking. He has also consumed numbing dried chili and opened a coconut with his bare hands over live stream.

Zhongyuanhuangge's wife, surnamed Liu, told media that many people on the internet said that her husband was trying to attract traffic to make more money, however, "I just want to say that my husband is a very responsible person for the family."

In May, another social media influencer known as "Sanqiange" from Lianyungang, East China's Jiangsu Province, was found dead in his room after live streaming a quarrel with other anchors and drinking alcohol in the early morning.

At present, the live streaming account of Zhongyuanhuangge has been closed.