The winners will establish a group, getting support from streaming sites, which finance and produce the shows. They will experience the trappings of fame, release albums and be interviewed by top fashion magazines.

Contestant Zuo Linjie, a Jiangsu native who has grown up in Shanghai, seems to be going through such an experience.

In recent weeks, the 18-year-old winner has seen the number of his followers on Sina Weibo rising from a few thousand to nearly 281,000.

Before taking part in the show, Zuo trained for about 18 months with a South Korean entertainment company, FNC Entertainment.

"When I watched a music video by Zhang Yixing at my junior school, I was fascinated by his performance and since then dreamed of becoming a singer like him," says Zuo. "I was excited when I found Zhang has also joined the show to guide us."

Yu says that Zuo is shy and quiet, "but is hardworking and talented". "I remember that he was the last contestant to leave the training venue on the eve of the first performance. He gets up early every morning to jog, no matter how late he goes to bed the night before," Yu says.

Du Yan, the show's chief producer, says candidates have their unique characteristics. "It's exciting to see them improve day by day," she says.

The final episode will be released in late August and the winners will establish an all-boy pop idol group.