Another example of the Chinese government’s unfunny treatment of comedians is in the news. The government is “investigating” crosstalk comic and actor Guo Degang for changing the words of a revolutionary song from “it is quiet along Weishan Lake” to “it is quiet in the Forbidden City” during a show. While the investigation or whatever it is unfolds, other scheduled shows of his have been canceled (The Associated Press, August 22, 2026).
Guo’s performance had been approved in advance by local authorities in Wuhan, but the lyric change had not, which may have violated regulations governing commercial performances according to The Paper, a Shanghai-based news outlet.
The lyrics are from “Playing My Beloved Pipa,” a song from Railway Guerrilla, a well-known 1950s film about Communist-led guerrillas fighting Japanese forces during World War II. Pipa is a traditional Chinese stringed instrument, similar to a lute.
It is a popular song among the public. It was once played at CCTV Spring Festival gala in 1998, and was also selected in 2019 by the Chinese Communist Party’s Publicity Department as one of 100 songs recommended to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.
A Sky.name profile of Guo, “the most famous crosstalk actor in China,” credits him with reviving the art, “which combines caustic monologue, narrative, and humorous conversation.”
“Serve the people”
The treatment of Guo is being debated in China, CNN reports. “Some internet users think he should be punished for altering red (communist) songs, with one user saying that ‘art is to serve the people, if people don’t like it then please do not make such art.’ Though some users on China’s tightly censored social media platforms suggested the officials were being ‘oversensitive.’ ”
What AP describes as the “unclear and shifting” red lines that CCP censors impose on comedic performance could themselves be the subject of a Guo performance if fertility of target were the only consideration.
In 2023, the company that standup comic Li Haoshi (“House”) worked for, Shanghai Xiaoguo Culture Media, was fined the equivalent of $2.13 million for cracking a joke about the People’s Liberation Army. The fine was imposed by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism Bureau, which explained, “We will never allow any company or individual to use Chinese platforms to slander the glorious image of the PLA.” Xiaoguo canceled its contract with House, and he has not publicly performed in China since.
Also see:
StoptheCCP.org: “Beijing’s Parade of Distortion”
“The eruption of war with Japan saved the rebel communists from losing their struggle against the Chinese government. Zhang Guotao, a Red Army officer, recalled that ‘on 7 July 1937, Mao Zedong and his supporters were pleased, saying that “this would weaken the KMT forces.” ’ In 1945, Mao noted approvingly that ‘the Japanese invasion south of the Great Wall in 1937…forced [the government] to abandon its nationwide civil war for a time.’ ”
