BOOM IN LIVE PERFORMANCES ECHOES LOUDLY ACROSS COUNTRY

Fans' passion for concerts sees strong revenue growth in major centers, smaller cities

As the manager of Xing'ao Entertainment, Zhang Zhe has witnessed firsthand the rapid rise of the concert and live performance industry in China. With an annual schedule of 40 to 50 events, the company is a key player in the booming sector. One of its most notable projects was singer Zhang Yuan's recent third concert tour.

Zhang Yuan, 39, rose to fame in 2007 in the singing competition Super Boy, and then led popular boy band Top Combine. He has since rekindled his popularity via an idol show, performed at the CCTV Spring Festival gala twice, and in November launched his first stadium concert tour themed "White" for tens of thousands of fans across China. He will begin a series of international concerts in Singapore and Malaysia this month and one concert in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, in March.

For more than six months, Zhang Zhe has been heading a 150-strong team preparing for the concert tours. Three of five of the singer's recent concerts were held in booming cities, a deliberate strategy of manager Zhang.