Why read this: This is a short, friendly story about live music in China today. It tells students that many young people love going to concerts, even when they need to save money. Learners meet a real fan, Ms Wang, and see how she spends money on music. The story also shows one new idea: people can pay for happy feelings, not just for new things.
What to notice: Ask students to look at the numbers in the story: 130,000 fans, 62 billion yuan, 20,000 yuan. These numbers show how big the concert boom is. Also notice the two glossed phrases: "zero-covid" and "emotional consumption". Pause on these and make sure learners understand them before moving on. Check that students can say who, where, and how much in simple sentences.
Skills practised: Students practise reading short, simple sentences with clear meaning. They practise finding facts and numbers in the text. They also learn a few new words about money and feelings, like "boom", "spend", and "emotional consumption". The "Describe" and "List three" open questions give students a chance to retell the story in their own words.
China's Young People Love Live Music
Concerts are booming, and fans are happy to spend
Tap any green word in the article to see its meaning.
China is having a concert boom, and more young people are going to live music shows.
Zhuji is a small city in China, and it is famous for an old story. It is the home of Xi Shi, a beautiful woman who lived there a long time ago. For many years, people visited Zhuji just to hear about her. But now, many people come for a different reason. Every new year, the city holds a big music festival. This year, more than 130,000 fans came to the festival and stayed overnight.
Across China, the music business is growing very fast. Last year, concerts made 62 billion yuan. In 2019, the total was only 20 billion yuan. So the money from concerts has become much bigger in just a few years.
Mayday is one of the most popular bands in the country, and fans love its live shows. At one show, the band even played on a moving bus. The bus drove around a huge football stadium as it played.
After covid, many people in China were careful with money. The strict lockdowns made people worried about the future. Many still do not like to spend much today. But concerts are different, and fans are happy to buy tickets for them.
Local governments also like concerts very much. When fans travel to other cities, they spend money on food and hotels. Some local governments give singers money to come and perform there. On the island of Hainan, one big concert brought visitors who spent 3.2 billion yuan in the city.
Some fans spend a lot of money on music. Last year, a fan called Ms Wang and her husband followed the band Mayday to many cities. They spent 20,000 yuan on tickets, and they spent the same amount again on flights and hotels. For her, going to a concert feels like a very happy day.
Chinese writers call this kind of spending . People pay for happy feelings, not for new things. Even when money is tight, young people still want these experiences.
China is having a concert boom, and more young people are going to live music shows.
Zhuji is a small city in China, and it is famous for an old story. It is the home of Xi Shi, a beautiful woman who lived there a long time ago. For many years, people visited Zhuji just to hear about her. But now, many people come for a different reason. Every new year, the city holds a big music festival. This year, more than 130,000 fans came to the festival and stayed overnight.
Across China, the music business is growing very fast. Last year, concerts made 62 billion yuan. In 2019, the total was only 20 billion yuan. So the money from concerts has become much bigger in just a few years.
Mayday is one of the most popular bands in the country, and fans love its live shows. At one show, the band even played on a moving bus. The bus drove around a huge football stadium as it played.
After covid, many people in China were careful with money. The strict lockdowns made people worried about the future. Many still do not like to spend much today. But concerts are different, and fans are happy to buy tickets for them.
Local governments also like concerts very much. When fans travel to other cities, they spend money on food and hotels. Some local governments give singers money to come and perform there. On the island of Hainan, one big concert brought visitors who spent 3.2 billion yuan in the city.
Some fans spend a lot of money on music. Last year, a fan called Ms Wang and her husband followed the band Mayday to many cities. They spent 20,000 yuan on tickets, and they spent the same amount again on flights and hotels. For her, going to a concert feels like a very happy day.
Chinese writers call this kind of spending . People pay for happy feelings, not for new things. Even when money is tight, young people still want these experiences.
Questions
Check your understanding
- 01
How many fans stayed overnight at the Zhuji music festival this year?
- 02
How much money did concerts in China make last year?
- 03
What does "emotional consumption" mean in the article?
- 04
Describe what happens at the Xi Shi Music Festival in Zhuji.
Suggested length: ~50 words
- 05
List three ways that fans spend money when they go to concerts.
Suggested length: ~50 words
Questions
Check your understanding
- 01
How many fans stayed overnight at the Zhuji music festival this year?
- 02
How much money did concerts in China make last year?
- 03
What does "emotional consumption" mean in the article?
- 04
Describe what happens at the Xi Shi Music Festival in Zhuji.
Suggested length: ~50 words
- 05
List three ways that fans spend money when they go to concerts.
Suggested length: ~50 words