RICHMOND, British Columbia — What sort of karaoke joint offers 18 kinds of bubble tea but only one Abba song?

If you’re a Chinese immigrant living in metropolitan Vancouver, then you’ve probably already been there: Party World KTV, a branch of the Asian karaoke chain, which looks as if a wedding-cake-inspired U.F.O. had just landed in the middle of this majority ethnic-Chinese city.

It’s a popular destination for anyone looking to warble a favorite Chinese pop song, accompanied by music videos occasionally set in the Ming dynasty and frequently featuring people crying.

On a recent Friday night, anyone meant Karns You, a bleach-blond transplant from China’s coastal Guangdong Province. He was on his feet, eyes closed, belting out a rock ballad by the Hong Kong pop star Eason Chan. His girlfriend sat beside him, transfixed by her smartphone. Not that it mattered — Mr. You was there for karaoke, or KTV as it’s known in China, a guilty pleasure he indulges in often four times a week.