CHINA DAILY | HONG KONG EDITION Monday, April 6, 2020 | 9 TREND China’s youth enchanted by performing arts Research shows people born after 1990 behind a massive growth in concert and theatrical ticket sales, Chen Nan reports.
oung Chinese are playing a more prominent role in fueling the country’s performing arts It has now become a way market as more of them are going to concerts and theaters of life for young people to asY part of their lifestyle and are showing a spend money on growing willingness to spend money for live performances. performances by their Last year, young Chinese accounted for idols and they form a 55 percent of consumers of performing arts. This was a record high percentage, positive attitude of life according to a report released by the Light through following the house Research Institute and ticketing firm Damai on March 25. young stars.” Seventytwo percent of concertgoers Zhang Yiwu, a professor of Peking were people born after 1990. Among them, University female consumers were paying more mon ey for live performances. The report said the total revenue of Chi for indigenous culture to build a strong na’s performing arts market reached about hold, although Chinese cultural industries 20 billion yuan ($2.82 billion) in 2019, an are not so strong as that of the United increase of 7.29 percent yearonyear. States. It is the first report centering on China’s The report also gave examples of some of performing arts market by the Lighthouse the most popular theatrical productions in Research Institute, a Chinese survey and 2019, including musicals, plays and chil market research platform under Alibaba dren plays. Pictures that has served more than 100 For example, Rhinoceros in Love, a Chi companies ranging from film, performing nese play directed by one of China’s most arts to TV dramas and reality shows. commercially successful theater directors, The report analyzed the performing arts Meng Jinghui, premiered in 1999. The market based on three major areas: theatri Count of Wulong Mountain was produced cal production revenue was about 8.4 bil by Mahua Fun Age, one of China’s most lion yuan; concert revenue was about 4.3 popular comedy troupes. These were two billion yuan; and the revenue of perform of the most wellreceived plays among ances in tourism was around 7.4 billion young theatergoers born after 2000. yuan. Onmyoji, a musical adapted from the The revenue of performances in tourism mobile video game with the same name, grew fast with an increase of 9.58 percent which was developed by Chinese internet compared to 2018. Concert revenue company NetEase in 2016, and Andrew increased 6.88 percent yearonyear, with Jay Chou performs in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, on Nov 2. The Taiwan pop singersongwriter was one of the most popular Lloyd Webber’s awardwinning musical, people born after 1990 and 2000 becoming artists of 2019, according to the latest report on the country’s performing arts market. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY Cats, were mostwatched by people born the major consumers. after 1995 and 2000 respectively in China. One of the most popular musicals staged Concertgoers in China last year was French musical The report named the top three artists of MozartL’opera Rock. 2019 whose concerts drew the biggest According to Beijing Joyway Culture & crowds. They included Taiwan pop singer Media Co, the coorganizer, MozartL’opera songwriter Jay Chou, Taiwan rock band Rock toured nine Chinese cities. These Mayday and mainland singersongwriter included Tianjin; Nanjing of Jiangsu prov Zhang Jie. These artists are all well estab ince; Guangzhou; Beijing and Xi’an of lished in the music industry. Shaanxi province, between Dec 30, 2018 In 2019, young artists became the main and March 24, 2019. Its 77 performances stream attraction in the market, such as attracted 112,750 people in total. Modern Brothers. “Musical has a stable fan base in China Led by vocalist Liu Yuning, 30, the band and the reputation of MozartL’opera Rock launched its first nationwide tour in 2019. made it a hit among Chinese fans,” said Liu rose to fame in 2018 on shortvideo app Zhang Yuzi, deputy manager with the Bei Douyin, which is known as TikTok outside jing company. China. When the musical was staged in The top five Chinese cities with the most Hangzhou in midMarch, it drew a big consumer power were Shanghai, Beijing, crowd of fans, including Chen Yike, a Hangzhou of Zhejiang province, Shenzhen 28yearold resident. and Guangzhou of Guangdong province. Zhang Jie’s world tour makes him one of the country’s TF Boys hold a concert to celebrate the group’s sixth anniversary in “It was the first French musical that I had “On the whole, ticket sales of concerts top three artists of 2019. MAO DAOGUANG / FOR CHINA DAILY Shenzhen, Guangdong province, on Aug 10. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY ever watched. I was totally captivated by held in the southern part of China were the show so I bought tickets for another higher than concerts held in the northern two days,” recalled Chen. part of the country,” the report said. She also took photos and got autographs More consumers were willing to travel 20 55 72 from the cast after the shows. “There were for shows, which made crosscity consump billion percent percent lots of fans lining outside the theater, tion, especially in the concert category, a record high concertgoers are which I will never forget. I hope the musi grow rapidly last year. yuan percentage of younger than 30, cal will come to China again.” For example, 92 percent of the audience the total revenue young people according to the The average individual spend on con watching a concert celebrating the sixth of China’s accounting for latest report certs among Chinese consumers was 1,525 anniversary of TF Boys, a threemember performing arts consumers of yuan in 2019. Musicals grossed 1,280 yuan Chinese pop group, which was held in market in 2019, a performing arts for average individual spend. Shenzhen on Aug 10, came from different report by the market Lighthouse cities across the country. Research Streaming hits Fans from 332 cities across the country Institute and Reality shows produced by online watched Chinese singersongwriter Hua ticketing firm streaming platforms, such as Youku, iQiyi Chenyu’s concert in Haikou, South China’s Women in their 20s and 30s are willing to spend big on live Damai shows and Tencent Video, received a large num Hainan province, on Nov 15. The concert performances. MAO DAOGUANG / FOR CHINA DAILY ber of views. The popularity of those reality was one of the stops on his Mars tour in shows helped propel live performances in 2019. 2019. One of his fans was Xiaomi, who declined Two of the most popular reality shows in to give her real name. She flew from her 2019 were Street Dance of China by Youku home in Chongqing along with three and The Big Band by iQiyi. friends to watch the concert. The nationwide tours of the artists who The 25yearold, who works in a depart participated in these reality shows both ment store in Chongqing, has been a fan of sold out of tickets quickly. Hua since she watched his concert at the Street Dance of China featured celebrity National Stadium in Beijing in 2018. coaches, such as the 19yearold Chinese “His concerts sold out in seconds. My singeractor Jackson Yee (Yi Yangqianxi), friends and I tried to buy tickets as fast as who has more than 80 million followers on we could,” she said. his Sina Weibo platform. This helped “It’s a great trip to Haikou, which I had attract audiences of people born after 1990 never been to before, along with my friends and 2000, the report said. They accounted and to watch my idol’s concert.” for 58 percent of viewers, with females tak Among all the ticket buyers for live ing up 82 percent of that figure. shows, firsttier and secondtier cities still The Big Band, which premiered last sum had a larger number of consumers, which mer and brought onceunderground indie numbered around 76 percent. In compari music to the limelight, has launched a son, thirdtier and fourthtier cities nationwide tour with major acts sharing accounted for about 24 percent of consum The French production MozartL’opera Rock is one of the most popular musi Rhinoceros in Love is popular among young stages. People born between 1980 and 2000 ers, according to the report. cals staged in China in 2019. ZOU HONG / CHINA DAILY theatergoers. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY were the major ticket buyers, accounting In third and fourthtier cities, the report for up to 85 percent. said that people loved watching concerts The performing arts market in the first more than theatrical dramas. quarter of 2020 has been heavily affected “It has now become a way of life for by the coronavirus pandemic. Artists and young people to spend money on perform performing arts organizers have halted all ances by their idols and they form a positive tours and shows. attitude of life through following the young “However, online streaming shows have stars,” Zhang Yiwu, a professor of Peking soared as record companies, artists and University, said in a WeChat public concert organizers are trying to find a con account. nection with fans despite all of the cancel “It indicates China has entered a higher lations and postponements of live shows,” stage of development with better economic the report added. and social foundations. It’s also a driving “It may become a new trend among thea force for Chinese cultural and creative ter fans and concertgoers to enjoy shows industries.” online.” He also said the fact that Chinese young performers are doing increasingly well in Street Dance of China is a hit reality show produced by streaming The Big Band offers a key platform for rock bands such Contact the writer at the domestic market shows a great potential platform Youku. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY as Miserable Faith. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY [email protected]