BEIJING, Jan. 23 (Xinhua) -- For more than a decade, "Xijiangyue" (stage name) has been consistent in one thing: making people laugh.

Xijiangyue is a stand-up comedian -- a rare thing in China, where comedians often entertain by juggling or "playing the fool."

In 2010, he started a stand-up comedy club in Beijing. Members perform in pubs, coffee shops and theaters on weekends.

He is one of a small but growing number of Chinese stand-up comedians, who number around 30 people.

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In a humble coffee shop in a downtown art district, nearly a hundred people were gathered, including young couples, students, a few middle-aged men, and a pregnant woman.

Six performers walked on stage one after one, each performing for five to 10 minutes. The comedians came from all walks of life: lawyers, teachers, fitness instructors, scientists, computer programmers, and foreign students who have studied Chinese.

Xijiangyue, an engineering graduate, used to run a decoration company. His life completely changed in 2004 after watching an online video of U.S. comedian Chris Rock. Though he could not understand the jokes without subtitles, he was intrigued by the art and eager to try.

He had loved being funny since childhood. After months of imitating videos, he started writing jokes, poking fun at different comedy forms across China.

His debut was in a pub with only five onlookers. Only two of them laughed, "very politely," he said.

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