Virtual reality tech "resurrects" Asian pop icon

A 3D version of a pop star who died two decades ago will take the stage in ten Chinese cities next year.

The concerts, featuring a hologram of late singer Teresa Teng, will tour ten mainland cities next year, including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, said Frank Teng, chairman of the Teresa Teng Foundation, at a press conference Friday.

The virtual singer, created by Hollywood-based Digital Domain, appeared in a memorial concert for the 20th anniversary of Teng's death in Taipei in May, singing six songs and drawing heated feedback.

Next year's concerts will feature about 15 songs, and the foundation aims to recreate 60 of her classic songs, said Frank Teng, the singer's older brother.

Cutting-edge animation technology was used to create a hologram of the late singer, said Daniel Seah, chief executive officer of Digital Domain. The firm was also behind the computer imagery of actor Paul Walker in "Furious 7," who died in an accident before finishing the film.

"Our technicians had to go through thousands of her videos to develop a model. A singer was hired to imitate Teng so that we could capture the facial expressions," Seah said.

Teng, who died of an asthma attack in 1995, remains a beloved singer across Asia. In her heyday in the 1970s and 1980s, Teng was one of the continent's biggest pop stars, well-known for folk songs and romantic ballads, including "The Moon Represents My Heart," "I Only Care About You" and "Tian Mi Mi."

She was one of the earliest singers people in the mainland got to know after reform and opening-up. Her sweet voice, elegant dresses and curly hair were novel to those used to seeing green and black coats and braids.

After the mainland tour, more concerts will be held in Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the United States, Canada and Australia. Endi