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Three wax figures of Michael Jackson at various stages of his career made a splash last week at Madame Tussauds Beijing, as Chinese fans celebrated their idol.
The wax likenesses relive the three moments of the career of "the king of pop": the Jackson 5 years when the child star was a member of The Jackson 5 with his brothers; the "invincible era" when Jackson issued his fifth album History, which ranks among the world's best-selling albums; and This Is It Michael when he posed for his never-finished comeback series concert in 2009.
According to Madame Tussauds, there are all together 19 wax figures of Jackson in their museums around the world. The legendary singer first sat for a wax sculpture in 1984. In total, Jackson was sculpted six times before his death due to his popularity.
The three wax figures of Jackson unveiled in Beijing were made by collecting data from his videos, TV shows, Internet posts and pictures. It takes about three to four months to finish a single wax sculpture. All were made in Britain.
"They are so real! It seems like Michael comes alive," says Chinese pop singer Zhang Jie, a huge fan of "the king of pop".
The 33-year-old singer says that he first saw Jackson's moonwalk dance on TV at 13 and he even performed a song of Jackson's on his school stage. When Zhang was awarded International Artist of the Year by the American Music Awards last year, the singer performed Jackson's Heal the World on the spot, in homage to his idol.
"Michael Jackson was the signature idol of my teenage years. He is also a shared memory of many Chinese growing up from the 1980s," adds Zhang.
Jackson's signature dances, like the robot and the moonwalk, swept Chinese TV screens in the 1990s. Even now there are countless followers on TV shows.
When the three wax figures of Jackson were unveiled, three Chinese imitators performed dances and songs of the pop legend. The youngest, a 5-year-old, says he has been a fan for Jackson "for years".
The sculptures will stay in the Beijing wax museum until April 28 before continuing on a world tour. Visitors can enjoy a half-price ticket from 5 pm to 9 pm if they bring accessories to imitate Jackson's poses.
Madame Tussauds Beijing, which opened in Beijing in May, is the company's fourth wax museum in China after Hong Kong, Shanghai and Wuhan.
dengzhangyu@chinadaily.com.cn
