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Lu demonstrates free-flowing water from a vase that seems to be unsupported.
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When talk turns to the most incredible performance at the 2009 CCTV (China Central Television) Spring Festival gala, many people would vote for the eight-minute, mind-blowing performance by Taiwan magician Lu Chen, also known as Louis Liu.
During the show, the young magician managed to drop a coin into a small glass inside a bigger glass turned upside down. Then, under the watchful eyes of both the studio audience and cameras, Lu conjured a finger ring out of an intact egg.
Tens of thousands of viewers were dazzled by his showmanship and mesmerized by his trademark fixed line: "Now is the moment to witness a miracle."
"A lot of Chinese people used to consider a magician a 'superman' who wore coattails and a high black hat on stage. Magic was a complicated and weird art form," said the 33-year-old Lu.
"I think these stereotypes are going away. Magic can be very true-to-life and a good conjurer can put on a very realistic performance right in front of you."
The props he uses are all regular things from daily life and the scenes set for his magic are nothing special.
Lu is well-known for his close-up magic shows, including card play and coin tricks. Different from other magic genres like Illusion and Mentalism, close-up magic is usually performed, well, close to the audience.
In that sense, it requires a high degree of proficiency in basic skills, such as finger movements and sleight of hand, as there is less space and time for magicians to hide their "secrets."
Lu was recently invited to the Shanghai Dragon TV's talk show "Special Memory," where he performed a few more marvelous tricks, including one involving putting a ring into his mouth and "swallowing" it, then another in which he moved cards on the floor with his power of "thought."
Though the audience is always amazed at the mystery and delighted by the charisma of his magic shows, Lu notes that magic is a comprehensive and scientific visual art, which covers the principles of physics, chemistry, optics, acoustics, mathematics and psychology.
So how do the tricks work?
After the success of his performance on the CCTV Spring Festival show, many Netizens have been trying to explain the secrets behind his magic tricks. Some believe that his props are specially made and his fingers move swifter than the eye due to plenty of practice.
"So far, nobody has given the exact explanation," Lu said with a grin. "Actually language plays an important role in my shows. It is an effective tool to mislead and distract my audience so that they can hardly notice my little maneuvers, even the movement of one finger."
Lu notes that the talking skills of a magician are akin to those used in pursuit of a girl or by a super salesman. A good magician can read people's thoughts and is adept at creating the right atmosphere.
The young man's affinity with magic began when he was only seven years old. Lu found himself attracted to a magic toy in a shop. From then on, his interest was kindled.
