Second Hand Rose (band)
Second Hand Rose (Chinese: 二手玫瑰; pinyin: èrshǒu méiguī) is a Beijing rock band formed in 1999 by Liang Long. They blend traditional Chinese instruments with Western rock, and their shows are flashy with rich visuals and humorous lyrics. This mix makes their style unique in China.
Their debut album came out in 2004 and was well received. The band is known for dramatic stage design and playful banter. Lead singer Liang Long sometimes dresses in women’s clothes on stage, which has earned them media attention as “China’s most glamorous rock band.” The lineup has changed a lot, but Liang Long and Wu Zekun (a traditional instrument player) have stayed from the start; guitarist Yao Lan has joined for several years. The group began as Black Lens before becoming Second Hand Rose.
Liang Long grew up in Heilongjiang and loved rock from a young age. He left his state‑owned family to pursue music and moved to Harbin to study. There he met Sun Baoqi, Wen Heng, Ma Chunyu, and Ma Jinbing, and formed Black Lens. After financial struggles, he went to Beijing to seek music opportunities, and eventually formed the band that would become Second Hand Rose in 2000.
Their releases include a second album in 2006 with a new lineup, the EP Lover in 2009, Out of the Cage And Sing in 2012, and Stealing The Show in 2013 (released in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, with a World Tour). In 2014 they won Best Group/Band at the Music Chart awards. They also gained international exposure: in 2002 they were the only foreign band invited to the Swiss Snow Mountain Music Festival, in 2003 they played atNHK’s China‑Japan Pop Music Exchange Concerts in Shanghai, and in 2004 they joined the Amsterdam China Festival in the Netherlands.
Today they mainly perform in Beijing but also tour other Chinese cities. They remain an alternative, non‑mainstream act with a loyal following. In 2016 they staged a multimedia exhibition. In 2017 their song Lullaby was nominated for Best Original Film Song at the Taiwan Golden Horse Awards. Their video for the single 狼心狗肺 was included on the release. They have continued to collaborate across music, art and exhibitions, becoming a cultural symbol. They have appeared on TV and reality shows, including Burst Stage (2021), Praise for Songs Season 2 (2022), and The Big Band Season 3 (2023).
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 22:46 (CET).