Spreading the rock and roll gospel

China's burgeoning music festival scene helps bridge the regional differences when it comes to understanding rock 'n' roll.

In 2010, there were more than 60 music festivals across the country, from the northern grasslands of Inner Mongolia to the southern highlands of Yunnan province.

In 2011, the growth of music festivals has continued, with more than 100 staged across the country.

In December 2011 alone, there will be three outdoor music festivals on in southern cities, including Guangdong province's Shenzhen, Fujian province's Xiamen and Yunnan.

The headliners include the "Godfather of Chinese rock 'n' roll" Cui Jian, rock singer/songwriters Zheng Jun and He Yong, and bands like Miserable Faith and Second Hand Rose.

"We believe the three music festivals will help promote rock music from the North in the southern cities," says Xu Xiaofeng, whose National Music Industry Base has been working with Beijing Beida Jade Bird Co to build a series of platforms for music festivals.

With a 250 million yuan ($39.3 million) investment, the two companies will jointly host 20 music festivals in 20 cities across China in 2012.

"Usually, a music festival gathers some big names and some new faces. But the influence of those bands doesn't last as the music festival ends after several days. What we are going to do is to make the festival longer and more lasting," says Xu, who started preparing the program over a year ago.