Zhai Miaomiao clearly remembers the date when she began to fancy Wang Yuan, a member of the Chinese boy band, TFBoys.

"It was on April 4, 2015, when I noticed him on the variety show, Happy Camp. He sang a song while clad in a pink sweater. I thought he was so cute. I became a fan, searching online for videos of him," says Zhai.

Since then, Wang has become an indispensable part of Zhai's life.

So it was not surprising to see her outside the Chongqing International Expo Center where Wang's 18th-birthday concert, Bornfree, was held in his hometown, Chongqing, on Nov 17.

Wang has been a popular star ever since he made his debut with bandmates Wang Junkai and Yi Yangqianxi in 2013.

And over the past five years, he has made music videos, TV series and variety shows, winning millions of fans both at home and abroad.

He has over 68 million followers on Sina Weibo.

At the concert, Wang sang more than 20 songs to an audience of nearly 5,000 while also speaking about what it meant to enter adulthood.

"For me, my 18th birthday marks the end of adolescence and start of independence," he says.

The theme of the concert was "Born to be free and love without fear", which comes from the lyrics of Wang's new song that expresses a resolve to step forward with love, freedom and no fear of hardship.

To many fans, attending this concert was significant as they were witnessing his transition from a teenager to an adult.

Members of the TF fan club could sign up for a draw to get free tickets to the concert.

Some fans like 21-year-old Gong Yaqi were lucky to get a ticket from the draw. Many others were not.

Liu Huan, a 19-year-old, who showed up outside the venue, says: "I failed to get a ticket from the draw, but I still came here to show my support."

She stayed on until 9:30 pm when she had to leave to catch the last subway train back to her university.

"Many other fans who didn't get tickets were also outside. But we watched the live telecast of his concert on the internet, chatted with one another and sang songs to wish him a happy birthday," says Liu.

"It's a pity that I couldn't get in, but I still felt excited."

On Nov 4, Wang's fans organized a grand light show on 34 buildings in Qianjiang New Town in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, to celebrate his birthday.

Wang, who is a UNICEF ambassador, also pays a lot of attention to charity.

And his fans have organized about 90 charitable programs in his name to mark his birthday, including donating money to orphanages in Ethiopia, helping autistic children and fostering trees in Wang's hometown.

Many fans say they like Wang for his good looks, positive attitude and good behavior.

Li Shanshan, 23, says: "I like his character. He's cute and has a high emotional quotient."

Yin Mengyao, 22, says: "He possesses some of the qualities that I hope I can have. He's vigorous, and always gives me a positivity."

Zhang Yixin, 18, says: "I remember once at a variety show, when he was misunderstood, instead of getting angry, he just smiled, waiting for a chance to clarify.

"I couldn't believe that such a young person could be so tolerant and keep calm when he was misunderstood."

By joining in activities linked to Wang, she has developed new friendships, she says.

"I used to be bad at interpersonal interactions. But, since I wanted to take part in activities related to Wang, I had to communicate with other fans," she says. "Thus, my interpersonal skills have been enhanced considerably."

Moreover, since Wang stresses charity, Zhang also started to offer a hand in charitable work.

"I used to be lazy, but seeing my idol's effort to engage in charity, I also take part in volunteer activities at school," says Zhang.

"Everybody around me knows that I am a fan of Wang. So, if I am more kindhearted and help others often, they know that Wang is influencing me."

Liu says Wang is her impetus to become a better person.

"Since my idol is excellent, I also want to improve myself so that I will feel proud of myself when I get a chance to see him."

Many fans often buy magazines featuring Wang's photographs on the cover and other merchandise related to him.

Yuan Yiming, a 24-year-old fan, refers to their purchasing acts as "a kind of spiritual expense".

Li says: "I think it's a common phenomenon since stars are expected to show their business value. He needs our support, and we would like to show it.

"But, of course, we must fit our spending to our incomes. We must be rational when adoring a star."