Fanbase

It is difficult to estimate the size and global spread of Chou's fanbase. The Chinese-speaking population of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China make up the majority of his fans. Despite rampant piracy issues in this region, particularly in China, every album Chou has released so far has surpassed 2 million sales. According to Baidu, the most popular internet search engine in China, Chou is the number one searched male artist in 2003 05, and 06.

In Hong Kong, he has been the best-selling Mandarin artist for the past 4 years.According to a 2004 survey in five Chinese urban centers for children ages 9 to 14, 1 in 6 named Chou as their favorite idol; he was also reported as the favorite singer of youths aged 8 to 25 in a study conducted in seven Asian countries (2006). He has a solid fanbase throughout Southeast Asia, including Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. In Singapore, Chou was the second most searched celebrity behind Britney Spears in the "Music" category.

Official movie posters for Curse of the Golden Flower. In the North American version (left), Chou is back-facing; in contrast, his face is prominently featured in the Chinese version (right), illustrating his different levels of fame in these regions.
Currently, Chou remains largely unknown outside of Asia, except in cities with large Chinese immigrant populations such as Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary, Sydney, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. He has held concerts in major venues such as the MGM Grand (Las Vegas—December 25, 2002), Shrine Auditorium (Los Angeles—December 18, 2004), and Galen Center (Los Angeles—December 24, 2007). His intention to increase his prominence in the Western world beyond Chinese audiences is clear. In 2006, Chou composed and sang the theme song for Fearless, a movie released in major theatres in most English-speaking countries,[though the impact to his fame has been minimal.

His role in Curse of the Golden Flower (limited release) marks his acting debut in North America. Despite having a supporting but important role in the story's plot, the North American version of the official posters only featured a view of his back, greatly contrasting the Asian versions where his face and name were clear and placed between the leading actor and actress. Although Chou is still far from being well-known to English audiences, this movie has brought him international exposure.

Response to the news media and paparazzi

As with other stars, Chou has expressed a strong dislike of the paparazzi. In the early years of his career, unwanted attention by the media was usually dealt with by avoidance. In-line with his quiet nature, he frequently wore baseball caps and hoods while lowering his head and evading eye contact during interviews. In the recent years however, he has been less passive about the invasion of his privacy. To discourage the paparazzi from taking unsolicited pictures, Chou is known to photograph the paparazzi that follow him. He openly calls the paparazzi "dogs" and tabloids "dog magazines", as shown in his lyrics for "Besieged From All Sides" (; pinyin: sìmiànchgē). Chou has been reported to be romantically linked to an array of female celebrities, such as Jolin Tsai, Vivian Hsu, and Hebe Tian from S.H.E. Although each relationship (with the exception of Patty Hou) has been denied by Chou, these reports have given him a "player" image. The media and Taiwanese government has also accused Chou of evading compulsory military service by feigning to suffer from ankylosing spondylitis. Later that year he was acquitted after providing the relevant medical records and letters from the army confirming a lawful exemption from draft dated before the start of his music career.
Despite constant harassment and stalking by the media, he does acknowledge that not all media attention is unwelcome. Coverage by international journals and news agencies such as Time,The Guardian, and Reutershelp ascertain his influence on mainstream culture. An editorial published by the Royal Institute of International Affairs named Chou as one of the 50 most influential figures in China, one of only three singers on a list dominated by politicians and corporate owners.

Book: Grandeur de D Major

Chou published his first book titled Grandeur de D Major ( pinyin: D diào de huálì) on November 25, 2004
This 200-page book features a prologue written by his family, friends, and co-workers; the main section is a compilation of his personal attitudes, philosophies, and recollections of childhood experiences along with pictures from his music videos, many of which have never been released; and lastly, a list of the artist's major awards, musical and lyrical compositions, and discography.
For the usually low-profile singer, this book revealed his personality and convictions that has served as the basis of his musical and public image. He demonstrated a strong appreciation of family values with an especially deep connection with his mother and maternal grandmother. His confidence and dedication towards music is evident as he dedicated 2 out of 7 chapters to music: the current state of the industry, his composition methodology, and the importance of individualism to his success in music.
This pride is contrasted against his modesty and self-assessed naivety about many aspects in life, particularly regarding relationships and marriage.

Kung Fu Dunk

Kung Fu Dunk (simplified Chinese: 灌篮; traditional Chinese: 灌籃; pinyin: Guànlán) is a Chinese live-action film set to be released by 2008. The film is inspired by the Slam Dunk manga and anime series, and was previously titled Slam Dunk. It is currently being filmed in Taiwan and Mainland China.

Plot
The film revolves around an orphaned boy who grew up in a kung fu university and becomes a talented basketball player.

Cast
Jay Chou
Charlene Choi
Wilson Chen
Eric Tsang
Baron Chen
In the initial planning for filming, director Chu Yin-Ping wanted NBA player Yao Ming to make a cameo appearance in the film. However, he is unlikely to do so due to injuries.
During the pre-production period, the lead actress role has been previously offered to stars such as Korean Singer BoA. But due to her busy schedule she passed the roll to Korean Actress Yoon Eun Hye Due to schedule conflicts, the producers settled on casting Hong Kong singer and actress Charlene Choi.

Curse of the Golden Flower

Cast
Chow Yun-Fat - Emperor Ping
Gong Li - Empress Liang
Liu Ye - Crown Prince Wan
Jay Chou - Prince Jai
Qin Junjie - Prince Yu
Ni Dahong - The Imperial Doctor
Chen Jin - Wife of the doctor
Li Man - Jiang Chan (daughter of the doctor)

Name
The title of the movie is taken from the last line of a Tang dynasty poem attributed to the rebel leader Huang Chao, "On the Chrysanthemum, after failing the Imperial Examination" or simply "Chrysanthemum":
“
When autumn comes on Double Ninth Festival, / my flower [the chrysanthemum] will bloom and all others perish. / When the sky-reaching fragrance [of the chrysanthemum] permeates Chang'an, / the whole city will be clothed in golden armour.
”
Due to the film's high profile while it was still in production, its title, which can be literally translated as "The Whole City is Clothed in Golden Armor", became a colorful metaphor for the spring 2006 sandstorms in Beijing and the term "golden armor" has since become a metaphor for sandstorms among the locals.

Plot

The plot is based on Cao Yu's 1934 play Thunderstorm (pinyin: Lei Yu), but is set in the imperial court of the Later Tang Dynasty, which was during the turbulent Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. Emperor Ping is a man of humble origins and strong ambition, having risen to the throne from the lowly rank of captain.

He abandoned his first wife to marry the Princess of Liang, who is now his Empress Phoenix. The Emperor does not love his second wife or her often sour mood; he blames the latter on an illness, for which he has forced her to take medicine of his own concoction every two hours for the past ten years.

Empress Phoenix has been outwardly obedient throughout the marriage and her husband's treatment, but has grown suspicious of the medicine in the recent span of ten days. Her submissiveness also conceals the fact that she and Crown Prince Wan, the Emperor's son from his previous wife, have engaged in an illicit affair for three years.

The status quo is broken, however, when Wan reveals to the Empress his guilt about the affair and then ends it against her wishes. Part of his motivation is a second secret relationship, held with Jiang Chan the daughter of the Imperial Doctor. Wan's overriding desire is to escape the palace, which he has never left, and thereby see the outside world with Chan.
Prince Jai, the middle son and eldest son of the Empress, has been leading the Emperor Ping's army at the kingdom's borders for three years. The palace has prepared a massive welcoming ceremony for the returning prince on the eve of the Chrysanthemum Festival, but the Emperor cancels them at the last moment to meet his son at a nearby inn where Jai has been instructed to wait.

There, the Emperor duels his son as an act of dominance, after which he warns Jai never to repeat a previous, unspecified mistake, emphasizing that everything Jai receives comes by the will of the Emperor and attempting to take anything from the Emperor by force is doomed to failure.

Jai then returns to the palace and visits with his mother, who is feverishly embroidering chrysanthemums for the upcoming festival. While she is embroidering she is struck still for a moment, possibly in pain, and collapses. She recovers quickly but Jai begins to worry about her.

Secret

Plot

The romantic story is about a high school student Ye Xiang Lun, who studies in a school for the musically and artistically gifted. Xiang Lun’s piano skills are unmistakably a notch above others. On the first day of school, while wandering through the piano rooms, he hears an unknown and alluring melody played by a fellow female student, Lu Xiao Yu

Since Afterwards, they unknowingly fall in love, but as Xiang Lun tries to know more and asks her about the mysterious yet alluring melody she plays, she tells him it is a secret that cannot be told. Later on, there is a misunderstanding and Xiao Yu mistakenly thinks Xiang Lun is cheating on him with another girl, Qing Yi.

Xiao Yu then vanishes from Xiang Lun's world without leaving a trace. Five months later, Xiang Lun plays "Swan" in tribute to her in a concert and Xiao Yu unexpectedly reappears, looking sad and melancholy, and vanishes again.

Afterwards, Xiang Lun realises that her existence is only known to Xiang Lun and only to him, therefore Xiao Yu doesn't really exist. Therefore, Xiang Lun realises he has to pursue and discover the secret that cannot be told...

Cast
Jay Chou as (Ye Xiang Lun): Music student majoring in piano and lives with his father.
Kwai Lun-Mei as (Lu Xiao Yu): Music student who lives with her mother.
Anthony Wong as (Xiang Lun’s father): The discipline teacher of Xiang Lun's school and his father.

Q & A

Q & A with jay
1. Childhood nickname?Black Wheel
2. Favourite subject when you were a student?P.E. (Physical Education)
3. Most hated subject?Maths
4. The school rule you broke the most?Having hair too long
5. When you were in education, the institutes you participated in?Basketball
6. What was your "My Wish" paper at that time?Musician
7. Your most naughty experience of playing a trick on someone?Scaring people
8. The reason for telling lies to your parents for the first time?Playing video games and not going home
9. The thing that made your parents the happiest?Winning gold song award
10. The thing that made your parents the saddest?Can't think of one
11. The reason for being hit by your parents for the first time?Not being obedient when he was little
12. The first time going home late and time?Playing video games
13. The reason for turning against your good friend for the first time?Girl in primary school
14. The reason for being betrayed by your friend for the first time?None
15. When was the first time when you knew about knowledge of sex?Middle school
16. When did he have your first love?15
17. Please describe the outward appearance and character of your first love?Long haired, thin
18. What are the most touching words?When getting an award
19. The first love song you sang with your lover?Jacky Cheung's song
20. What was the first present you got from your lover?Forgotten
21. What was the first present you gave to your lover?Forgotten
22. What present do you want to receive most from your lover?Dish cooked personally by her
23. What was the first film you saw with your lover?Love In July 7th
24. Place of first kiss?My home
25. What was the most hurtful thing you have heard?Mum and dad scolding
26. The reason for breaking up you hate most?No feeling
27. Have you ever tried to make the first move to chase after the opposite sex?Yes
28. How many love letters have you received?
29. The reason for the first time you cried for your lover?Break up
30. What was you most failure at kissing?
31. Which part of you do you like most to be kiss by your lover?Face
32. Which part do you look at from first glance in the opposite sex?Eyes
33. Please place love, family, friends and career in order?3, 1, 4, 2
34. Which point do you yourself think is the most attracting to others?Piano creativity
35. How would you pass the days when you have lost love?Do exercise
36. What was your first holiday job?Pianist
37. How much was your wage?TW$600 / 3 hours
38. How did you celebrate?Spent it
39. If you weren't a star, what career would you choose?Teach children to play the piano
40. What was your first fan's name?Only remembers the fan studied at Fu-jen University
41. If you run into some unhappy times in work, how would you face it?Firstly endure it
42. What award do yo want to win the most?Producer, best musical creation
43. Who is your best friend in the circle?Liu Geng Hong, Luo Zhi Xiang
44. What age do you hope to retire?40~50
45. After you retire what kind of a life do you want to live?Peaceful
46. In the future after you get married, how many kids do you want to have?2~3
47. If you had plastic surgery which part would you have it on?None
48. Which dish are you best at cooking?Fried eggs
49. A recent happy thing?Performing in Hong Kong
50. Where do you want to move to live the most?Small island
51. Which stage of your life do you want to experience again the most?Middle school
52. Which friend, that you have lost contact with, do you want to meet up with again?Primary school friend
53. What age do you want to get married?30 (let's see, he almost 29 years old right now)