Eason Chan performs the final concert of the Fear and Dreams world tour in Macao on Aug 10.

The cover of Chan's digital album, Fear and Dreams, which is recorded from his live show and released globally by Universal Music on Aug 25.

Eason Chan takes a group photo with his fans at a sharing event in Shanghai on Aug 17.

Fear and dreams are two universal experiences in life, and Cantonese pop star Eason Chan is no exception. The two words are also the theme of his grand world tour. Officially announced in October 2019, and starting from Hong Kong in December 2022, his Fear and Dreams world tour concluded on a high note in Macao on Aug 10. Spanning nearly seven years, this epic journey included 182 performances worldwide, inspiring the dreams of not only countless audiences but also Chan himself.

As a prominent Chinese singer and actor, Chan has achieved remarkable success in music and was recognized by Time magazine as a front-runner and influencer in the Cantopop scene. Over the 30 years since his musical debut, he released more than 40 albums and won numerous prestigious awards in China and Southeast Asia.

During the Fear and Dreams world tour, Chan and his team intentionally excluded many hit songs from the set list. Instead, they focused on a deeper, more artistic exploration of the human experience, highlighting less popular songs that reflect social issues and personal introspection, underscoring the tour's thematic focus.

The concerts were carefully structured to pair "fear" and "dreams" with visual storytelling. The first segment, evoking fear, featured visuals of ruined, polluted, and distorted imagery, while the second segment shifted to warmth, healing, and hope.

In Chan's view, fear and dreams are two concepts that have not yet unfolded, seemingly opposed yet coexisting. Supported by an elaborate stage design and delicate visual effects, the concerts artfully guided the audiences from the macro to the micro, from free will to destiny, from reflecting on the past to confronting the present.

The tour launched with 27 consecutive shows in Hong Kong and maintained enduring popularity across China and internationally, including stops in Singapore, Malaysia, the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Japan.

Notably, Chan set a new record for a Chinese singer with six consecutive concerts in North American sports arenas and became the first Asian artist to perform at San Francisco's Chase Center.

However, the seven-year journey was not without its challenges. Following the announcement of the tour on Oct 10, 2019, the tour came to a halt due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, ultimately pushing the first performance to the end of 2022. During the world tour, Chan also faced health issues.

"One of my most challenging moments during the whole tour was the cancellation of the (originally scheduled) 101st performance in Hangzhou," recalled Chan at a fan meeting event on Aug 17 in Shanghai.

On May 25, 2024, Chan had to cancel his two remaining concerts in the city due to sudden problems with his vocal cords. A video of his heartfelt apology onstage, coupled with fans' supportive responses, quickly went viral on social media. Following the cancellation, Chan was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder caused by excessive stress, requiring ongoing medication.

"I have many fears, such as heights and no Wi-Fi. But my biggest fear is that I cannot perform on the stage, which made me extremely anxious," Chan shared in Shanghai.

During the tour, he attempted to stop taking his medication. However, even though he slept well and stayed positive, his anxiety quickly resurfaced, forcing him to resume treatment until the tour concluded.

Chan also shared that he used to dwell on his mistakes, such as forgetting the lyrics or disappointing audiences, but eventually managed to feel better by telling himself to view such moments as part of the entertainment experience. Four months after the cancellation, he made a successful comeback in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, with six performances in a row. And as the tour came to an end, he expressed relief that his anxiety was fading and appreciation for living in the present moment.

"People need work and something to focus on as spiritual sustenance, otherwise they would start to overthink and feel excessive pressure," says Chan.

His fears, dreams, personal struggles as well as ups and downs over the past years are faithfully recorded in a tour documentary Fear and Dreams: Now Is the Only Reality, released on Aug 23 on the video-sharing platform Bilibili. The documentary comprehensively chronicles the full seven-year world tour, revealing the internal growth of the artist alongside the rapidly changing external world.

"I do not hold many assumptions or high expectations. The fullest and the best 'dream' for me is that I have completed this tour smoothly. That is enough," he says with a smile.

Also, to mark the success of the world tour, a digital album Fear and Dreams was released globally by Universal Music on major music platforms on Aug 25. Recorded from the live shows with the complete set list from the first concert in Hong Kong and the final concert in Macao, the album features a collection of 31 rearranged songs that trace Chan's seven-year journey from fear to hope.

Chan's music and personal experiences have inspired countless fans, including 35-year-old Zhang Xiaojia. A fan since her teenage years, she has found in Chan a source of encouragement for overcoming life's challenges and motivation for action and accomplishment.

"Him (Chan) always standing on the stage is our dream," said Zhang loudly, echoed by others at the event.

This sentiment somehow echoes with Chan's message for audiences through the tour and documentary: "Whatever you have gone through, just keep moving forward — now is the only reality."

Contact the writer at wangxin2@chinadaily.com.cn