Jet Li poses with daughters for Christmas Day picture in rare glimpse into private life

Jet Li gave fans worried about his health some Christmas cheer by giving them a rare glimpse into his private life.

The martial arts star and actor posted a picture on Instagram with his daughters Jane and Jada, now 18 and 15 respectively.

“Wishing you a Merry Christmas from my family to yours,” wrote the star, whose frail appearance earlier this year shocked his legion of fans.

The 55-year-old Once Upon a Time in China and Romeo Must Die star suffers from hyperthyroidism, a rare condition that accelerates the body’s metabolism, causing unintentional weight loss and a rapid or irregular heartbeat.

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But Li, who assured fans that he was “doing great and feeling great” after pictures of him appearing to look unwell circulated online, appeared to be in good health and spirits in his Christmas Day snap.

His two daughters with former actress Nina Li Chi, whom he married in 1999, tower over their 1.7-metre tall father in the picture, although they are wearing platform shoes.

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They are not often seen in the public spotlight, with Li rarely sharing pictures of them, though he has previously posted pictures celebrating their achievements.

In July, he posted a photo on Instagram of Jane at a global conference on women and entrepreneurship in Hangzhou, China, where she was a guest speaker.

He also posted with pride on Father’s Day last year celebrating Jada’s charity work with hearing-impaired children.

Li also revealed in October that he took a role in the live-action remake of Disney’s Mulan, which is set to be released in 2020, at the behest of his daughters.

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After initially turning down the role of the Chinese emperor because of the script and pay, he said Jada asked him if he needed money.

When he replied no, he said his daughter asked him: “When a company like Disney wants to make a movie about Chinese culture, why don’t you take part in it?”

In another post, Li also thanked fans for their continued support of his charitable One Foundation, 14 years to the day after he and has family were caught up in the Indian Ocean Tsunami.

“Since then, I have decided to dedicate my life to helping disaster relief,” Li wrote. “After all this time, I have not lost sight of this goal.

“Together, we have helped over 13 million cases and donated over US$300 million. But most importantly, we have made over 1 billion donations.

“These numbers show how strong we are together. I can’t wait to see what we will continue to do together as one family.”