In recent years, standup comedy has won fans in large cities, aided by online variety shows that have notched up more than 1 billion views.

Shi Jiefu, founder of Danliren Comedy, a leading standup comedy company in Beijing, said the city is now home to some six "open mic" sessions, in which new comedians practice in front of small audiences, a situation hard to imagine six or seven years ago.

"Standup comedy is a worthwhile and burgeoning industry. It was only a matter of time before it took off," Shi said.

In June 2015, he quit his job in the financial sector to become a professional standup comic, forming his own comedy company two years later.

"A comedy company can gather many talented comedians together to establishing a brand," he said.

Shi estimated that some 50 new standup comedy clubs were formed in China last year. With some shows debuting online, the genre has rapidly attracted a wide audience.

There are usually two types of standup performance. One involves six or seven comedians, who have more than a year's onstage experience. They perform for 10 to 15 minutes each over a period of 90 minutes.

The other form involves a one-person show featuring a well-known comic, performing his or her own jokes.