Lee Dong-hae (left) and Cho Kyu-hyun of Super Junior-M are two of the most popular South Korean idols in China.

Writing their own tickets

Big plans for tiny times

The increase is largely inspired by the phenomenal success of I Am a Singer and Where Are We Going Dad? , two reproductions of South Korean namesake shows by Hunan TV, China's leading entertainment broadcaster. Other TV channels have since done what they always do, following the leader into the trend.

South Korean program ideas are not necessarily better than Western ones, says Liu Xichen, CEO of Shixi Media, one of the three largest TV format brokers in China. But the South Koreans do have rich experience, creative ideas and amazing abilities to put them into practice, Liu adds.

Wei Ming, CEO of Youku Tudou, believes South Korean entertainment shows will continue to be what their Chinese counterparts learn from in the coming years.

"Because our cultures are very similar, to some extent the cultural influence is very quick and intense," Wei says.

Liu insists it's wrong to solely rely on South Korean production teams because what they do doesn't necessarily appeal to all Chinese audiences and there is still a need for domestic knowledge to grow.

Wei says in the coming years, video websites need to train up their own production teams like TV stations do.

"It may take a long time. Maybe it's possible that in the Internet era we'll grow faster than TV stations do," Wei says. "In the future we'll probably send our ideas overseas and create a cultural phenomenon there. Only in this way will I eventually feel that what I am doing is meaningful."

Contact the writer at hanbingbin@chinadaily.com.cn