The magic fever also witnessed the emergence of various magic organizations. Liu Shixue, a student at the Chengdu University of Technology, is one of the promoters. He organized a society of magic at his university, which now has over 70 members. They perform magic on campus and are very popular among their schoolmates.

Energized

Nobody could deny that Liu has played an important role in bringing about such a big change to China's magic industry.

Wu Xiaoli, a producer at the Fujian-based Southeast TV Station, said in an article published in Life Week magazine that Liu has taken China's magic industry to the next level, which is a great contribution to the development of the profession.

She said that Liu does not represent the highest magic performing level in China, but he is the most suited magician in China for TV. The old generation of Chinese magicians were used to theater performance, which does not produce good effects on TV. The new generations of magicians, like Liu, pay much attention to the employment of TV nuances and interactive communication with audiences.

Du Linsen, a famous Chinese magician, told China Cultural Daily that Liu's performance belongs to close-up magic, which draws audiences closer to the performer.

He said Liu has made Chinese audience feel that they too can perform magic and that it is not some exclusive skill.

Liu is really different from those stereotyped images of magicians in the minds of the audience. When he performs, he acts like an actor or a host. He is humorous and is good at creating a mysterious atmosphere. Besides being impressed by his amazing magic, audiences also are often amused.

Liu also likes to invite audience participation, one of the major attractions of his magic.

In an interview with the Shanghai-based Xinmin Weekly, Liu said that he is unsociable and eccentric, but behind such a disposition, he has a heartfelt desire to perform. On the stage, he is a different person. Audiences see a magician who is handsome, humorous, smart and talkative and who always knows what the audience wants to hear.

He said that the biggest difference between his performance and that of others is his creative ideas and the entire performance before the camera. Most props he uses are those people would see every day, and that is why it has such a big impact on audiences.

Liu said he wanted to establish a new image of magicians that is totally different from that of older generations of magicians, who would dress up in tailcoats and pull rabbits from their hats.

"I spend a lot of time thinking about something behind magic itself, such as what I should say on the stage, including the manner and the choice of words, expressions of eyes, costumes, music and how to mobilize the curiosity of the audience," Liu said.

Sustained magic

But although Liu has done much to bring magic into mainstream life, experts in Chinese magic circles say there is no systematic theory for magic teaching in China now. A system of magic brokers needs to be introduced to promote the development of magic, they say.

In 2002, David Copperfield performed in China, which aroused a fever for magic at that time, but it was not sustained. Some people worry that the fever triggered by Liu will have a similar flash in the end.

It seems that this time things have changed. On July 26-31, the 24th convention of the International Federation of Magic Societies (FISM) will be held in Beijing, the first time the event is held in China. One of the major programs of the convention is the World Championships of Magic, seen as the Olympics of world magic. It will bring the current fever for magic in China to a boil, making 2009 a landmark year in the history of China's magic.