While it is true that people in the Asian countries are wild for karaoke, and that your hotels all have the necessary equipment, we have not yet heard of or experienced an adoption group being subjected to the small stage.

So as you prepare for your trip, you can skip practicing your “rock star scowl,” and there’s no need to spend several nights listening to MandarinRadio.com just to learn the lyrics to the latest pop songs. Once you are in-country, however, you may well feel compelled to sing along with the piped-in instrumental music coming over the speakers at the airport, your hotel’s restaurant, or the ferry terminal in Guangzhou. 

You’ll sing in an ironic manner, of course, because the songs will be “Dixie,” “Beer Barrel Polka,” and “Winter Wonderland.” 

No, really.

There’s always a nightclub / disco around the corner from the hotel if you absolutely have to satisfy your karaoke fix. Just look for the building with the English letters “KTV” on it. The initials stand for ... Karaoke TV.

The government says there are over 100,000 KTVs around the country. Many are family-friendly; some are more for business entertainment; some are, shall we say, not family-friendly.

According to recent blogs, outside of the big Cantonese and Mandarin pop stars, you will encounter a great deal of Western music - the Carpenters, George Michael, Mariah Carey, ABBA, Britney Spears, and the Backstreet Boys are mentioned quite frequently.

If you or your group did have any experiences on the small stage on a China trip, and you’re not too embarrassed to talk about it, please write us, and we’ll post them here to share with our fellow travelers.