In a regulatory action that has drawn widespread attention across China, two entertainment companies have been issued fines by cultural authorities, who have concluded that one of the nation’s most famous comedians created serious “negative social impact” when he modified the lyrics of a revered patriotic song during a live public performance. The case unfolded after an audience member filed an official report over the unauthorized lyric change, triggering a months-long investigation.
The Wuhan Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau announced the outcomes of its probe on Monday, confirming that prominent xiangsheng performer Guo Degang intentionally distorted the lyrics of the iconic patriotic track. Xiangsheng, the traditional Chinese comedic dialogue form that relies on wordplay, rhythmic banter and cultural word games, counts Guo as its most high-profile modern practitioner. The regulatory body issued financial penalties to both the production company organizing Guo’s tour stop and the local venue that hosted the performance, citing violations of national regulations governing commercial entertainment events. Authorities also added that further serious action would be taken against relevant individuals involved, though no details on additional potential punishments have been released to date.
The song in question is *Playing My Beloved Pipa*, a famous track pulled from the soundtrack of *Railway Guerrilla*, a well-known 1950s Chinese film centered on Communist-led resistance fighters battling Japanese occupying forces during the Second Sino-Japanese War, which began in 1937. In its official statement announcing the penalties, the bureau emphasized the profound cultural significance of such revolutionary-era music. “Revolutionary songs carry the collective memory of the Chinese nation’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, and hold deep emotional resonance for the Chinese people,” the statement read. “No organization or individual shall be permitted to distort or misrepresent these works.”
According to prior reporting from Chinese state media, Guo Degang’s overall tour performance had received advance official approval from Wuhan regulators before the show, but the last-minute lyric change was not submitted for pre-approval. State-owned outlets also confirmed that Guo added mocking language after performing the altered version of the song, a choice that violated commercial performance regulatory requirements. Local Chinese media first confirmed that Wuhan authorities launched a formal investigation into Guo over the incident back in August.
In the wake of the report and investigation, multiple scheduled stops on Guo Degang’s national tour were canceled abruptly. The comedian has not appeared in any public performance since the incident, and official social media accounts managed by his performance troupe have halted all regular updates. As of the announcement of the fines, Guo Degang has not issued any public response to the regulatory action and has not replied to requests for comment from media outlets.