Local media praised him for breaking foreigners' stereotypes of Chinese as unsociable, shy and lacking a sense of humor.

Xijiangyue loves stand-up because it allows performers to freely express their opinions, and people often laugh at opinions different from their own.

"When I was in school, teachers did not like students who had different views," he said.

Tony Chou, formerly an English teacher, is a bilingual stand-up comedian. He sees stand-up as the "rock music of comedy," because its content is critical and based in reality.

"Stand-up comics are not acting as somebody else, they are just being themselves," said Tony, who is the founder of another stand-up club in Beijing.

"Xiaowu", a 27-year-old comedienne, enjoys stand-up because she can amuse people with thoughts and humor. She explained that most traditional female comedians in China get laughs by making themselves ugly on stage.

For foreign comedians in China, cultural differences make good material. Jesse, from the United States, focuses on misunderstandings between Oriental and Western cultures. For example, he notes that Chinese friends always wish him "Merry Christmas," even though he is Jewish and has never celebrated the Christian holiday.

Stand-up comedians use self-deprecation and sarcasm. They poke fun at bureaucracy, air pollution, job discrimination, irresponsible doctors, and movie star scandals. Hot news and events are all fodder for jokes.

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