Ring the changes(4)

Wei Ming, the manager of Live Nation China, who brought many international acts to China, says: "It's a win-win situation for the station and for the foreign singers."

For musicians, the thrill of playing to crowds who are perhaps seeing them for the first time can be intoxicating, Wei explains.

"Local TV stations are hungry for international stars, who help them increase ratings and ad sales," he says.

"Fans are willing to pay a lot for the tickets to see so many stars in one night."

The priciest New Year's Eve gala tickets went for 2,012 yuan ($319) and sold out weeks ago.

Li Yi, a 25-year-old dancer from Hubei's provincial capital Wuhan, didn't mind shelling out that much cash to see the Jiangsu Satellite TV's gala. Neither did the four friends she went with.

"It's very exciting to watch such a star-studded show," Li Yi says.

"Although the tickets were expensive, we had a great time together, taking pictures and singing to the music. I think CCTV's lunar New Year gala is a time for family. But New Year's Eve is for friends," she continues.

"It feels very special on the last day of a year and the first day of a new year. You want to share and celebrate it with people you love."

Many who watched the galas on TV at home spent much of the night channel surfing.

"I was switching among TV stations," says Zhang Huicong, a 28-year-old advertisement design company's marketing director in Beijing.

"It's hard to watch just one gala because they all have different stars. The commercials are really annoying, and I believe the TV stations made bundles of money," he continues.

"I hope next year's gala is different. If TV stations continue to gather stars, I'll feel bored."