According to Sohu, in the early days after the Lunar New Year 2026, actress Luu Dao suddenly caused a social media storm with the image of Ma To (the sea goddess in Chinese folk beliefs).
In just one night, many people simultaneously placed a classic photo of Luu Dao as a phone wallpaper. The topic "Photo of Luu Dao in the role of Ma To covering the entire network wallpaper" quickly climbed to the top of searches, becoming the opening phenomenon of the new year.
Students wish for a successful academic career, office workers wish for smooth work, housewives wish for good health, or drivers pray for peace - everyone seems to simultaneously choose this photo to bring peace to their souls.
Before this unexpected explosion, Luu Dao gently spoke up, shifting her focus from herself to a larger level of meaning.
She emphasized: "Ma To culture is a folk belief, associated with people's expectations and aspirations for a better life". The actress believes that she herself is not the cause of the fever, what people really desire is peace and good things, and she is only lucky to become a "transmitter" of those wishes thanks to the role.
Liu Tao's reaction was praised as humble, tỉnh táo; not taking advantage of trends to create attraction for herself.
Since taking on the main role in the TV series "Ma To" in 2012, the image of Ma To played by Liu Tao has been deeply imprinted in the hearts of the public.
Her dignified appearance, calm demeanor, and gentle eyes exude strength that reassures people, these things help her become the "Ma Tổ chosen by heaven" in the eyes of the public.
For many years, Luu Dao has always maintained respect for Ma To culture, not commercializing it, avoiding excessively associating her personal image; and actively participating in promoting Ma To culture, spreading good intentions and protection messages.
The origin of the sensational photo is from April 2025. On the occasion of the 1,065th anniversary of the birth of Ma To, with the role of "Ambassador promoting Ma To culture globally" and "Ambassador introducing Phu Dien culture - tourism", Luu Dao respectfully offered a long-lived peach blossom to the Ma To statue.
Images of her in solemn attire, sincere attitude quickly spread online. The photo exuding peace and benevolence is now widely downloaded by netizens as phone wallpapers.
According to media reports, the predestined relationship between Luu Dao and Ma To also has legendary stories.
In 2012, before the movie "Ma To" started filming, the film crew followed the Man Nam custom (Fujian, China), going to the Ma To temple on Mi Chau Island to "ask for instructions" from the gods with the ritual of casting fortunes, in order to choose the main actors.
Lam Tam Nhu was originally expected to be chosen to play the main role, but when she predicted 3 times without success, she switched to playing Quan Am.
When it was Liu Tao's turn, the actress consecutively 3 times cast a "holy hexagram" - a probability of only 1/8. This is considered an important factor that helped Liu Tao be chosen to play the role of Ma To and caused a fever to this day.
