Irreplaceable style

The discussion regarding why Teng, among the many quality singers from Hong Kong and Taiwan, became such a sensation for music lovers across the mainland is still going on.

"Her soft and sweet voice was like an enlightened musical education for many people," said Jin Zhaojun, a music critic and editor-in-chief of People's Music.

Jin told the Global Times that Teng influenced all the Chinese female singers in the late 1970s and 1980s, including the famous Cheng Lin, Na Ying and Faye Wong.

Her talent was that she was capable of many different music styles, ranging from a sexy style similar to the 1930 and 1940's Shanghai club singers, the 1970s and 1980s Japanese modern Enka and the 1980s Taiwan folk song style.

Unlike Michael Jackson, whose many songs are about big topics such as world peace or human equality, the lyrics of Teng's songs are mostly about personal emotions for one's hometown or loved ones.

"Taiwan was such a faraway place for us back then but the way she sings was never far. It was just like a friend chatting with me," said Li.

Gallin Yu, director of the China Teresa Teng Fan Club, told the Global Times that in 2010, they organized a series of events for Teng's 15th anniversary and followed Teng's footprints to Hong Kong to film a music video for her song "I Only Care About You."

"We are going to produce a music video for her every year," said Yu.

After so many years, people are still talking about Teng all the time and celebrating her birthday as if she had never left.

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