HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam - Some 15,000 screaming fans cheered on Korean pop star Rain at the first of two shows in Vietnam Saturday, billed as the most extravagant pop concert ever staged in the communist country.

South Korean pop star Jung Ji-hoon "Rain" performs at the stadium in Ho Chi Minh city, 10 March 2007, as part of his World Tour". [AFP]

More than 1,000 bodyguards and security staff were on duty at Ho Chi Minh City??s Military Zone 7 stadium Saturday night to shield Rain from the delirious fans who have mobbed the Asian superstar since he arrived her on Wednesday.

Amid the "Rain fever" in the former Saigon, many teenage admirers were left outside the venue as tickets selling for as much as 160 dollars were snapped up, with fans arriving from across Asia.

The concert, featuring pyrotechnics and spectacular sound and light effects, required more than 50 tons of equipment, local media reported.

The pop singer and hip-hop dancer, whose real name is Chung Ji-hoon, is on a six-month tour of 11 countries and territories. Part of the proceeds will be donated to World Vision's project to help Asian children suffering from AIDS.