China comedian changed one line of a revolutionary song; then came a probe

Chinese comedian Guo Degang is currently under investigation after altering a line from a famous revolutionary song during a performance in Wuhan in late July. The original song, "Playing My Beloved Pipa," written in 1956 for the film Railway Guerrillas, includes the line "The sun is about to set in the west; all is quiet on Weishan Lake."

Guo changed the second part to "all is quiet in the Forbidden City," which authorities deemed as "distorting and vulgarising" the song and violating standards of conduct. The Wuhan Culture and Tourism Bureau has initiated an investigation into the incident, and some subsequent performances by Guo have been cancelled. The controversy has sparked discussion on Chinese social media, with some users arguing for punishment while others view the authorities as being "oversensitive."

This incident highlights the limited space for artistic expression in China, as performers face increasing pressure from the Communist Party to align with the doctrines of "Xi Jinping's Thought."

Brief written by urgent.news from The Indian Express's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.