"I hope my promotion will raise public awareness of malaria. I also wish Chinese tourists who plan to go to Africa learn how to take measures against malaria. If you think you have symptoms, go to a hospital as soon as possible," Wang says.

In the era of the internet, a star's influence can quickly transform a cause into a high-profile online issue.

His videos, posts and relevant online content about his African tour have been read more than 800 million times on Sina Weibo.

Wang has also created philanthropic advertising posters to advocate tobacco control with several other young stars. The posters released on May 31, World No Tobacco Day, has attracted around 270 million views online, according to Guo Feng, chief executive officer of Cosmic Bliss, a Beijing-based entertainment agency, and one of the award ceremony organizers.