Hip-hop style and beats lure Chinese to the dance floor

In the eyes of her parents and peers, Zhang Chunyu has a typical good girl image: quiet, a professional pianist, and a huge fan of classical music. But she has developed a crush on something different. These days, Zhang, 19, is sporting a different look by wearing Missy Elliot-style clothes and hats and is trying to look like a rap singer. In addition, live house and hip-hop music festivals have become the favorite party venues for her and her friends.

"I love all these hip-hop style clothes and music," Zhang says. "They are so different!"

The fervor for hip-hop, which features break dancing, graffiti and rapping, is burning across the country, thanks to a talent show, The Rap of China, that premiered this summer on online video website iQiyi.