Two mainland impersonators of Taiwanese pop singer Jay Chou have embarked on tours across China, with one charging as much as 6,000 yuan (US$830) per ticket. One performer, Hei Lun, known for covering Chou’s songs on Douyin, has garnered about a million followers. The other, Zhou Binglun, a food vendor, gained fame after fans noticed his striking resemblance to the singer while he was making pancakes at his stall.
Both recently launched separate tours across China. Zhou Binglun hosts “national pancake tours,” selling pancakes in various cities. In contrast, Hei Lun has taken a more commercial approach. Promoting himself as the “No. 1 Jay Chou Impersonator in Mainland China,” Hei Lun’s tour is organized by an entertainment company in collaboration with a chain of pubs. Ticket prices for his performances have soared to as high as 6,000 yuan (US$830), sparking outrage among Jay Chou’s fans and prompting calls for boycotts.
According to promotional posters, Hei Lun’s tour spans multiple cities across China on numerous weekend dates, leading people online to joke that he seems busier than Jay Chou himself. During his shows, Hei Lun performs all of Chou’s hits and mimics some of his classic catchphrases, such as “Ai you, bu cuo you?” which means “Not bad, eh?”
The controversy over the 6,000-yuan ticket price arose from his performance in a pub in Hangzhou on June 15. An insider, called Chen, claimed the cost was not the ticket price but the minimum spend required for a VIP booth. “Customers can order beer, wine, fruit platters, and snacks to meet this minimum spend – and any unfinished alcohol can be stored for up to 30 days,” he told Chongqing Daily News Group.
Notably, the price for booths on the day of Hei Lun’s performance ranged from 1,280 yuan (US$180) to 6,000 yuan, which is three times the usual weekend price in the same pub. “Because Hei Lun not only resembles Jay Chou in appearance but also in voice, sales were good, boosting consumption,” the insider said.
On June 21, Hei Lun and Zhou Binglun performed together onstage in Taiyuan, Shanxi province. An online video captured the moment someone requested the hit song “Step Aside,” to which Zhou Binglun responded, “I cannot sing it, but Hei Lun can.”
However, the legal issue of profiting from singing Jay Chou’s songs has sparked discussions on mainland social media. “I don’t understand. If he sings Jay Chou’s songs, does he pay for the copyright? If so, I doubt the ticket sales could cover the royalties,” one person said. “It’s all because Jay Chou is too kind. So many impersonators profit by singing his songs, yet he has not sued any of them,” said another. “I see no issue with the pancake seller. He has not made money from singing Jay’s songs. What’s wrong with a national pancake tour?” someone else wrote.
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