HONG KONG, Sept 25 — When Super Typhoon Ragasa barrelled through China, most residents reached for the usual storm prep — tape, sandbags and sturdy locks.

But this time, one unexpected item joined the emergency checklist: a photo of Hong Kong heartthrob Nicholas Tse.

According to entertainment site Kbizoom, images of the 44-year-old actor-singer-chef were plastered across windows from Shenzhen to Guangzhou, as if his chiselled jawline alone could hold back the wind.

The reason is a delightful bit of linguistic luck.

Tse’s Chinese name, Xie Ting Feng (谢霆锋), sounds almost identical to the phrase “thanks for stopping the wind” (谢停风).

With Ragasa whipping roofs and nerves alike, netizens decided the superstar’s name might double as a supernatural storm shield.

Weibo quickly became a gallery of DIY “Nicholas charms,” showing windows taped into checkerboards and topped with printouts of the star.

“I’ve pasted Xie Ting Feng on my window, hope this works,” one user posted, while another reassured followers, “Don’t worry guys, we have Nicholas.”

Whether the charm actually calms a super typhoon is anyone’s guess, but as Kbizoom notes, it gave residents peace of mind — and the internet a field day.

At the time of writing, Ragasa has left a trail of destruction across the Philippines, Taiwan, Hong Kong and southern China.

Southern China is now facing a massive clean-up after the storm tore through Guangdong with winds of up to 145km/h, ripping trees from their roots and scattering debris across cities like Yangjiang.

While no fatalities were reported on the mainland, AFP said at least 14 people were killed in Taiwan after a barrier lake burst, and dozens were injured.

Nearly 2.2 million residents in Guangdong were relocated as crews work to restore power, clear roads and repair collapsed roofs, with Beijing earmarking about US$49 million for relief efforts.