#SHOWBIZ: Na Ying spared punishment after unapproved concert tribute to Liu Huan
BEIJING: Chinese pop star Na Ying paid a moving tribute to her late friend, the legendary singer Liu Huan, during her recent concert in Chengdu.
Chinese pop star Na Ying performed a touching tribute to her late friend Liu Huan during a recent concert in Chengdu. Wearing black, she sang a snippet of his iconic song Curved Moon to honor him. Na Ying expressed her intention to sing one of Liu Huan's songs he once performed on this stage, to pay tribute to him. Liu Huan, a beloved musician for nearly four decades, passed away the day before at the age of 63.
He gained international fame for singing the theme song of the 2008 Beijing Olympics alongside British soprano Sarah Brightman. Brightman paid her respects online, describing him as an amazing talent and a true gentleman who would be deeply missed. Despite the risk, Na Ying's tribute was met with a surprising outcome. Under China's strict censorship rules, all live performance materials must be approved in advance by local authorities.
Violating these rules can result in heavy fines or a ban from performing. Just weeks before, a famous comedian in Wuhan faced a fine for changing the lyrics of a patriotic song. Fortunately for Na Ying, the Chengdu Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism showed leniency. The authorities stated that her tribute was a brief, informal moment during audience interaction, not a full song, and therefore did not violate performance regulations.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
