China's Love of KTV

When I first came to China, all I heard everyone talk about was KTV. I had no idea what it was, and I almost felt like it was too culturally insensitive to ask. I would see buildings with big, flashy signs with K-T-V written in bold letters, but I was a stranger to what went on inside.

I realized I couldn’t go on living in this country without having a clue what KTV was, so I did a bit of research (thank you, Google). In short, KTV is similar to karaoke. Not your run-of-the-mill cheesy bar karaoke, though— it’s full on classy with private rooms, disco balls, food and beverage services, and much more. Read on to learn about my first experience KTV’ing, if that is a word...

Friday night was our Foreign Affairs Officer’s birthday. She graciously invited us to have hot pot (simmered vegetables and meat in a communal pot of boiling broth) with her, along with a few of her closest friends. As Chinese get togethers often go, we were all well into our glasses of wine by the end of the meal. Then Apple, our Foreign Affairs Officer, shouted, “KTV! Let’s go to KTV!”

It was after 10:00 PM at this point. We’d had a long week, so under normal circumstances, we would have headed home. But, it was Apple’s birthday, and we felt like we owed her a great night out on the town. We left the restaurant, walked across the 6-lane street street, and headed into the side of a building I wouldn’t have ever known existed if I wasn’t with locals. A man in a suit jacket and tie greeted us, motioning toward the elevator.

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The doors slid open to a chandelier-lit room with a giant golden statued horse in the center. Photo panels of famous celebrities lined the wall behind the statue— Lady Gaga, Rihanna, and Shakira, all the divas. We were led down a dimly lit hallway to our own private room, which opened to a plush purple booth, a large marble table, multiple big TV screens, a mini dance floor, and, of course, a stage, complete with a vintage microphone, straight from the 80’s. We were in for a night.

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As KTV novices, we took to our experts to see how things got done. Apple ordered a round of Tsing Tao beers, along with popcorn and a few other snacks. Off to the side of the room was the jukebox, a tablet of sorts where we would first choose a country (China, England, America) and then choose a song. I was impressed with the selection of “American” songs that were available— everything from “Linger” by the Cranberries to “Sorry” by Justin Bieber.

Once we selected a song, it queued up next in the line-up while we waited our turn. When we heard those opening bars, we grabbed a mic and hopped on stage. I learned no one is ever fearful or embarrassed during KTV— everyone is there to listen to good music and enjoy one another’s company. Even if you’re a terrible singer, the song’s music video will play on the big screens, capturing your audience’s attention more than your voice ever could.

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The night was everything we could have hoped for, and more. We had a couple beers, sung as loud and ridiculously as we could, and got our dance on. Michael Jackson was obviously on the set list— even some Van Morrison and Drake. As for the Chinese songs... not our jams (think sad, slow, and opera-like).

Despite the downer Chinese music, I can see why the people love KTV— it’s all about music bringing people together.

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