Chinese Rolling Stone hits newsstands

A Chinese version of Rolling Stone magazine is flying off the shelves after debuting this weekend, Chinese media reported Monday.

The inaugural issue showcases rock musician Cui Jian, known as "the father of Chinese rock music," on itscover.

Other original features by the magazine's Beijing-based editorial staff include interviews with Taiwanese pop star Jay Chou, Japanese hip-hop artist Nigo, and Muzimei, a Chinese blogger who has gained notoriety for her online sex diary.

Much of the remaining content is translated from the U.S. edition of Rolling Stone, founded in 1967by editor/publisher Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J. Gleason.

Produced by a Hong Kong-based organization called One Media Group, the Chinese Rolling Stone aims to find success by focusing on strong writing and photo-journalism, said the group's chief strategist Robby Yung.

"We feel Chinese music and arts are maturing rapidly and that a Chinese edition will be viable," he told local media.

The first issue had a print run of 120,000, or more than four times the initial projected circulation, editor Hao Fang told the Associated Press.

To publish their magazines in China, Western media companies must team up with a local publisher and be approved by the Chinese government. Other Western magazines that publish Chinese editions include Vogue, Elle, Cosmopolitan, Esquire and FHM.

The Chinese edition of Rolling Stone joins 10 otherinternational editions of the music and pop culture title in countries such as Australia, Argentina and Indonesia.