Wang Feng announces in Beijing that he will start The Times Tour in September. Zou Hong / China Daily
Wang Feng strides quickly toward a posh hotel ballroom with six bodyguards in tow.
As the doormen pull open the white door handles, Wang steps into the limelight.
The 45-year-old singer-songwriter has enjoyed his fame as one of the most influential rock stars in China for more than two decades, thanks to upbeat songs such as Flying Higher, Brave Heart and Blooming Life.
Wrapped in a black suit, Wang adjusts his trademark black-framed glasses and starts talking.
He quickly gets on a roll talking about his upcoming national tour, titled The Times Tour, and a new album that will be released this year.
He will kick off the tour from the iconic National Stadium in Beijing on Sept 9 and will visit 30 cities across the Chinese mainland throughout 2017 and 2018.
"I'll give the audience everything - and more than they can enjoy from CDs," he says.
"I will release two or more new songs online before the tour as a warmup," he adds. "This new album is about many great moments in my life during the past three years."
The singer-songwriter, who says he writes new material every day, has the habit of writing songs regardless of demand.
He says songwriting is as natural as breathing, and whenever he feels happy or sad, he expresses his emotions through songwriting.
Wang had his last national tour three years ago and he rocked a crowd of more than 60,000 fans with his concert Storming at the National Stadium in August 2014.
The Times Tour, which Wang started mapping out after the last tour, will combine futuristic elements, which offer audiences a walk between the virtual world and reality.
According to Xue Liping, CEO of Compass Culture Co, which has been running Wang's concerts for four years, ticket sales for the upcoming Beijing concert have totaled more than 10 million yuan ($1.47 million).
