Taiwanese singer psyches up Sekinchan crowd

Centre of attention: Weng Liyou (left) performing fan favourites for a large crowd in Sekinchan.

SEKINCHAN: He may not be as famous as “Gangnam Style” Psy but for the Hokkien folk here, Taiwanese pop icon Weng Liyou may as well be.

The appearance of the Hokkien star, whose songs are a favourite at karaokes, weddings and other gatherings, saw this small town, already bustling from the by-election, turn into a hive of activity.

Despite the heavy rain and a change in venue, the concert saw some 3,000 people cramming the Tian Fu Gong temple hall in Jalan Tepi Sawah.

The crowd even spilled out of the hall with many seen standing outside, trying to catch a glimpse of the singer. The road to the building was lined with a large number of cars and motorcycles.

Earlier, buses were seen unloading passengers in front of the temple.

Although the rain forced the concert to be postponed to 9pm, the singer only took to the stage some two hours later as various leaders came on to give ceramah.

Once on stage, however, Weng immediately worked the crowd into a high before belting his most renowned hit, Wa Meng Ti (I Ask God), which was the opening theme of Taiwanese soap opera Yi Nan Wang (The Unforgettable Memory).

The crowd cheered and sang along with him. A middle-aged man even rushed onto the stage and started singing with Weng.

After performing three more of his hits, the enthusiastic audience asked for an encore, to which the God of Hokkien songs obliged with another round of Wa Meng Ti.

Weng, whose name is stylised as Only You, is the second Taiwanese artiste to visit Sekinchan this year.

Game show host Jacky Wu had filmed his show on location there in April.

Weng started his singing career in 1998 when he was scouted after joining a singing competition.

His other notable hits include Xiang Qi (Chess) and Bu Neng Jiang De Mi Mi (A Secret That Cannot Be Told).