Li Yuchun belts one out at a concert in Shanghai. More than 3.5 million viewers voted for her. "For the first time," said one pollster, "people had the opportunity to pick their own winner."

She is Li Yuchun, China's newest star, chosen from the people and by the people in an open "election" rare in China.

More than 400 million viewers watched the final episode of the wildly popular "Supergirl" singing contest this summer, more than the population of the United States. And although critics tagged the 21-year-old music student from Sichuan province as an unconventional personality with a mediocre voice and limited appeal, more than 3.5 million viewers voted for her.

"Maybe not right away," Yuan said, "but in the long run, people might say, 'Hey, why not elect a mayor the way we elected the Supergirl?' "

This past weekend, the young people of China were busy celebrating the victory of their own chosen one. In front of a roaring crowd of 60,000 screaming fans, Li and the other popularly elected finalists rocked the Workers Stadium in Beijing on Sunday.

In many ways, the night belonged to Li, whose fresh look and androgynous mystique are helping change the way people think about beauty and pop culture in a country where the typical female celebrity has long hair, big eyes and a scripted sweetness and usually sings in a high-pitched voice an octave or two above Li's.

"Our whole family voted for her; she's the best," said Zhao Mingzhe, who traveled from northeastern China's Changchun city to hear Li sing. But like hundreds of other fans, Zhao was unable to get a ticket in the mostly sold-out concert.

Instead of leaving, Zhao and her sister hung out by the stadium's closed gates with other fans, picking up posters and other "Supergirl" paraphernalia.

"I'm happy to support her from the outside," Zhao said. "The show would never be this hot without her."

From pundits on state news agencies to anonymous bloggers on the Internet, everybody is talking about the "Supergirl" craze. Newspapers and magazines don't dare miss an issue without some tidbit on the meteoric rise of Li and the other finalists. Books about their personal lives are instant best sellers. Plans for an online version of the contest are under way. Even Time magazine's Asia edition put Li on its latest cover as one of its "Asia's Heroes 2005."

No adult wants to be caught scratching his head about the meaning of "PK." Short for "Play Killer," it's an expression borrowed from online games to describe a singing match between two contestants on the show.

Chinese youth certainly seized the moment. They organized fan clubs on the Internet, picked leaders and plotted campaign strategies. Most visibly, they hit the streets lobbying for their favorite candidates.

"From old ladies to young kids, everyone could vote. Even my mom voted. And I was so mad because she voted for Li Yuchun." Zhou Wei, 23, a college student who actually prefers the second-place winner, Zhou Bichang said.

(China Daily/Agencies October 21, 2005)