'Cloud disco dancing' ignites nightclub goers, owners

"The livestreaming has even attracted those who have rarely or never been to a club," said Cao Jing, stage performance manager of Club MEI. The club's TikTok fans have increased by over 500 percent, and the number of its livestreaming viewers also doubled.

"We attracted more followers over the past weeks than in the past year," Cao said.

At 8:30 p.m. from Monday to Sunday, Club MEI puts on performances through the livestreaming platforms. The DJ, in addition to remixing music, chats with online participants. Newcomers know more about the nightclub culture and the venue itself and become potential consumers.

"Every day I was asked about when the club will open. It's probably because many people believe our re-opening signifies the end of the epidemic," he said.

Some nightclubs have gone the extra mile to donate what they have received from online broadcasting to fuel the coronavirus fight in Wuhan. TAXX donated all the rewards from the first day's livestreaming.

"Though the company is in a difficult time, it's the least we can do as a member of society," Ruan said.

Livestreaming is only a temporary measure to fill in the business gap in such a special period, but it has made owners realize the importance of the promotion of nightclub brands among online communities.

Cao said they will continue to operate, and even expand their livestreaming team after the epidemic, to integrate online and offline promotion to maximize their influence.

"Relating to the business explosion after the 2003 SARS -- actually many popular nightclub brands emerged during that period -- we are confident that the whole nightclub industry will embrace a strong rebound when the coronavirus outbreak is over," Cao said.