TVB actor Joe Ma is known for his chiselled physique and his brooding, manly good looks. And it seems the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Joe, 50, recently posted photos of his 20-year-old son Zai Xiang who is now a lifeguard on Australia’s most famous beach.

“Congratulations to Little Zai for becoming a Bondi Beach lifeguard. You are now a real man capable of saving other people but you should also know how to protect yourself,” wrote Joe, who, while proud of Zai Xiang’s achievement, is also clearly worried about his son taking on a job that comes with much risk.

“I was once a lifeguard too, said Joe in a recent interviewer. But to be a lifesaver on a beach is a totally different thing. It’s much harder.”

Joe’s photos of his son swiftly made the news for obvious reasons: Not only is Zai Xiang good-looking, the dude is ripped AF. He also bears an uncanny resemblance to his dad, though one netizen commented that the younger Ma is like an upgraded version of Joe. Ouch. But said netizen has a point though.

Seriously, look at him.

1.88m tall Zai Xiang, who is known as Ma Xiang or Xiang Ma on social media, is currently studying mechanical engineering in Sydney. He is also a part-time model and a competitive swimmer who once won eight gold medals at an Aussie swim meet. Oh, and he also plays the violin and piano. You know, typical overachiever stuff.

While it was said that Zai Xiang had plans of being a star like his dad and that he had signed a contract with Shaw Brothers, Joe recently refuted those rumours saying that his son has chosen to focus on his studies instead. “I don’t know if he wants to enter showbiz, said Joe in a recent interview. He has three more years before he graduates. He will decide when he returns to Hongkong after graduation. Right now, he just wants to do what he's interested in, and if he has free time from school and doesn’t mind filming a movie, that can always be arranged.”

The young man clearly is cut out for showbiz though. Zai Xiang, who is fluent in English, Mandarin, Cantonese and, yes, French, was once asked who is better looking: him or his father. To which he replied confidently: “I’m better looking than my dad!” Touché!

Joe, on the other hand, has this to say about netizens who say that his son is better looking than he is: “We are totally different. You exude a different charm at different stages of life. I’m not going to compete with my son. My look is more mature.

The actor and his wife, former University of Hong Kong professor Karen Cheung, met when they were teenagers and have been married for 26 years.

In 2017, Zai Xiang won eight gold medals when he represented his school, The French International School of Hong Kong, at a swim meet in Sydney. He was the biggest winner of the competition and his proud mum posted this message on Weibo: “This marks the perfect ending to your time in high school and it is also the beginning to what you will face in your bright future. Fly high! Your commitment and hard work makes your dad and I proud every day.”

In 2017, Zai Xiang also walked the runway for the Hermès show in Hongkong.

Father and son are clearly proud of their bodies.

In this selfie with his mum, he looks just like a younger version of his dad.