Now when you dial a cellphone, instead of the ordinary "du…du..." sound, you might hear interesting songs, personalized monologues or even jokes and crosstalk.

This is a new service, provided by the China Mobile, called "Color Ringtone", or Cai Ling in Chinese.

It might be more correct to call the "Color Ringtone" answering tone. It's the sound you hear down the phone when you ring someone.

The 'color ringtones' were first popular in East Asian countries like Japan and Korea, now school kids and young white collar workers in China's major cities have caught up with the trend.

Now to own a personalized "Color Ringtone" is a fashion statement. And to hear an interesting one is great fun.

"It's very funny. When I call others, I can hear funny ringtones and the same is true when others call me."

"I think some pieces are really entertaining just like a crosstalk or an opusculum."

With the increasing popularity of the "Color Ringtone" among young people, Color Ringtone composing has become a new profession with a very promising future.

The more times a "Color Ringtone" is downloaded, the more profits the composer can get from China Mobile.

Xiao Le, the host of Beijing Music Radio, is now also the founder of a Color Ringtone Composing Studio.

He is doing quite well in this new business. The very popular color ringtone "Xiao Qiang" is produced in his studio。

"Xiao Qiang" has already been downloaded for more than 70 thousand times and that's the number in Beijing only. If other provinces and cities can also have that number, the profits are really considerable."

Apart from its business value, the "Color Ringtones" are quite amusing. It's almost an effortless way to make one's life more enjoyable and relaxing. So, guess no one would refuse the fun of life and Color Ringtone won't perhaps remain just young cellphone users exclusive trend.

(CRI.com November 17, 2004)