MOVE over Facebook and Twitter, it's time to usher in the era of Weibo.

Not only has the Chinese microblogging service – also known as mainland China's version of Twitter – amassed an impressive 50 million users since its launch by media company Sina last August, it has emerged a bona fide hit among Taiwanese and Hong Kong celebrities who have made it their preferred social networking site.

Weibo's massive appeal isn't lost on local television personalities either.

Caldecott Hill's golden couple Fann Wong and Christopher Lee are both Weibo converts and more than eager to extol the virtues of their new-found cool tool.

"Before Weibo, I've never really been interested in computers and technology," 39-year-old actor Lee told The New Paper.

"I remember when everyone was going crazy over Facebook and Twitter, I wasn't even tempted to setup an account for either... I was more interested in playing
football and doing outdoor sports."

Discovered

But he changed his mind about such online platforms two months ago after discovering Weibo – thanks to his actress wife Wong, also 39.

"Fann was the one who introduced Weibo to me," said Lee.

"The more I use it, the more I enjoy the direct interaction I share with my fans online.

"Over the last two months, I realised there are many Malaysian, Taiwanese and Chinese supporters of mine who are on Weibo... When I finally set up my account, they were elated and wrote  menotes like, 'We have been waiting for you for
so long'."

While Lee is still a Weibo novice, Wong qualifies as an old hand at the game.

The MediaCorp Ah Jie told The New Paper with a chuckle about her love for Weibo. "About a year ago, my Chinese agent set up the account for me... I started using it actively when I had to be based in China for three months to film a drama series," recalled Wong.

"China bans Facebook and Twitter (she has accounts for both), so I had no choice but to switch to Weibo instead."

Given its easy-to-use interface, Wong said that she updates her Weibo page "once every other day", but "seldom logs on to Facebook or Twitter" these days. (Fann's Weibo page is pictured below.)

"Weibo is a very fun way to kill time, especially when we are on set and there are long stretches of waiting time," added Wong, who uses an iPhone to type her Weibo entries and post photographs.

"I like the spontaneity of it... if I see something interesting, I can just shoot and upload it instantly," she said.

"Likewise, when there are times when I feel like expressing thoughts and feelings, Weibo is great for that."

Wong currently has more than 100,000 fans on Weibo, while Lee has nearly 30,000.

Don't bet on them becoming Singapore's Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore, however.

Reserved

Unlike the high-profile Hollywood pair, who have no qualms flirting and exchanging intimate conversations on Twitter as well as sharing each other's photos andgiving the world a peek into their married life, Lee is more reserved.

"Of course I won’t post stuff which I consider too personal," he said.

"Besides, if I really want to tell Fann something, I can always tell her when we are both at home, right?"

To date, he hasn’t mentioned Wong in any of his updates, whereas Wong has done so on two occasions, and cheekily.

In one entry, she posted a candid picture of Lee and typed "Omigod, Chris Lee is here to visit me on my film set!"

Then, in another, she wore a big vest with the words, "Chris Lee is my idol" and boldly called it her "declaration of love".

When quizzed about those two entries, Wong said she will not restrict herself from talking about her other half on Weibo.

"At this point, I don’t really set boundaries, like what to post and what not to," she continued.

"Well, maybe I do need to control myself a little when it comes to taking pictures of food, I tend to take quite a lot of those!"

Besides Wongand Lee, another avid user of Weibo is showbiz veteran GuoLiang, 42.

The Shanghai-born host told The New Paper that for him, not only is Weibo a good platform to update one's thoughts, it is a "one-stop source for the latest information on anything".

"I use Facebook too, but somehow, I feel that on Facebook,you can't really get the information you want at your fingertips," he said.

"Most people just circulate YouTube videos on Facebook, that's about it.

Follow

"But on Weibo (where Guo has more than 400 fans), I am able to follow my favourite academics, news columnists, movie critics and even experts on current affairs."

Yes 93.3 radio deejay and actor-host Dennis Chew, 37, even urges more local celebrities to jump on the Weibo bandwagon.

"I started using Weibo last month and I really like it as it allows me to express myself in Chinese, a language I’m more proficient and comfortable in," he said.

Chew currently has more than 400 fans on Weibo. He also holds accounts on Facebookand Twitter.

"The standard of Chinese among Singaporean youngsters is declining rapidly," he said.

"So if more and more stars and personalities start using Weibo, it might be a way to get these kids interested and in the long run, their Chinese might improve."

This article was first published in The New Paper.

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