Dressed flamboyantly in bright orange colors, singer Chyi Chin took the stage to answer questions about his upcoming 2010 Beijing concert, set to be held at the Workers' Gymnasium. The year 2010 will mark 25 years since Taiwan-born Chyi Chin fi rst became a professional singer; he will also be turning 50.

"I hope the concert will be like coming together with all my old friends," said Chyi Chin. Brandishing goldenbronzed skin, twinkles in his eyes and an engaging smile that has made him a hit with legions of fans for more than two decades, it was apparent that Chyi has aged gracefully over the years as he fi elded question during the press conference. A frequent smoker, drinker and fi ghter in his youth, the would-be famous singer was sent to a reform school when he was young, far away from the abuse he received from his father.

Upon his release, his sister gave him a guitar as a gift, and the instrument would come to change him, leading him down the path of a music maker. He was discovered while singing at a restaurant at the age of 19. 1981 saw the release of his fi rst album, See Her Slip Away Again, and he quickly shot to stardom.

It has been said that his voice is the voice of his generation. For many Chinese people, Chyi Chin's sound captures the essence of more youthful days. Chyi mentioned that of all the cities he has held concerts in, Beijing has always been his favorite. He said that in Beijing, fans would always sing along with every song, making him feel at home.

Chyi's first Beijing show was in 1990.

"The transportation system wasn't so developed back then. People from Haidian rode their bicycles in the snow for over three or four hours just to come to my show. Twenty years later, I'm hoping to give them a much more beautiful concert," said Chyi.

He said that the show in 2010 will be a visual feast, with a brand new stage display, given the Workers' Gymnasium's recent renovations. "But this won't be anything like costume changes, or an exaggerated make-up show, like what those Hong Kong pop singers do. The music is the most important aspect," he said. He has prepared 34 songs for the concert, including some of his old hits that have been reworked with modern arrangements. Chyi hinted that Hong Kong pop singer Karen Mok and Beijing-based singer Jing Gangshan would be making guest appearances.

Chyi's mainstream popularity peaked during the mid-80s and lasted up until the year 2000. A majority of the songs he had a hand in composing during this time were written in the name of one woman, Joey Wong, a Mainland movie star during the 90s, who Chyi was in a relationship with more than 14 years. 

Chyi and Wong met each other on the set of a movie, and soon fell in love. Wong's parents, however, did not approve of the relationship, and when it emerged that Chyi had fathered an illegitimate child in 2000, Wong quit acting and moved to Canada, allegedly to become a nun.

During the press conference, Chyi Chin announced that 2010 will also see him marrying his current girlfriend, a girl from Sichuan named Yaya, who is 24 years younger than he is.

"I've been lonely for a long time. I've got a strong desire to settle down with someone and I want to have children," he said. Chyi told reporters that a TV drama series based on his life, The Wolf's Stories, is in the works, and that his rocky former relationship with Wong takes center stage. "I'll have to fi nd an actress who looks like her and has the same temperament. I know that Wong will never ever act again," said Chyi.