Chinese Comedian Investigated After Changing Lyrics of a Patriotic Song

A famous Chinese comedian named Guo Degang is being investigated by the government after he changed the words of a well-known patriotic song during a live show. The song honors Chinese soldiers who fought against Japan in a historic war. Officials say Mr. Guo did not get permission to change the lyrics, even though he had approval for the rest of his show. The case has drawn attention across China and raised questions about how much freedom performers have to be creative.

Mr. Guo, who is 53 years old, is one of the most recognizable comedians in China. He is known for a traditional style of comedy called cross talk, or xiangsheng, which mixes scripted jokes with made-up, improvised humor. This style of comedy goes all the way back to the Qing dynasty, a period of Chinese history that ended in 1912. In the 2010s, Chinese media praised Mr. Guo for getting younger people interested in this old art form.

The song Mr. Guo performed is called Playing My Beloved Pipa, which refers to a traditional Chinese musical instrument. It was written for a famous 1950s movie and describes Chinese fighters who battled Japanese forces during the Second Sino-Japanese War, which lasted from 1937 to 1945. In 2019, China's ruling Communist Party named it one of the top 100 songs to celebrate the country's 70th anniversary. It is considered a beloved and important part of Chinese history.

During his show, Mr. Guo changed one line of the song. He swapped the name of a lake — Weishan Lake — with the Forbidden City, a famous palace in Beijing that was once the center of Chinese power. He also added humorous lines where he pretended to pray to Buddha. These changes were not in the script he had submitted to officials for approval beforehand.

After the show, someone reported Mr. Guo to the city's culture and tourism bureau, a government office that oversees arts and entertainment. The bureau launched an investigation to find out if Mr. Guo broke a rule that requires performers to get their full acts approved by officials before going on stage. A government official confirmed the investigation on Tuesday but called the matter sensitive and gave no further details. A show Mr. Guo was scheduled to perform in Xi'an was postponed as a result.

In China, comedians must be very careful about what they say on stage. The government requires comics to submit scripts before they perform so officials can review the content. China's top leader, Xi Jinping, has pushed for tighter controls over art, media, and entertainment in recent years. He wants artists to support the goals of the Communist Party and promote what the government calls positive energy.

This is not the first time a comedian in China has faced serious consequences. In 2023, a comedy studio was fined $2 million after a comedian compared two stray dogs chasing a squirrel to the Chinese military. After that punishment, officials called on artists to have correct creative thinking and to provide healthy spiritual nourishment for the people. Comedy clubs across China canceled shows following that event.

Experts say Mr. Guo's case shows how carefully the government watches over how history is told in China. A professor named Jian Xu, who studies Chinese culture at Deakin University in Australia, said the government is very sensitive about any story of history that goes against the official version. A law passed in 2021 made it a crime to insult or mock China's military heroes. Mr. Xu also noted that celebrities are now expected to model good values and behavior in public.

Public opinion about Mr. Guo's case is divided. Some people online argued that changing the words of a revolutionary song is a serious offense that deserves punishment. Others felt the reaction was too harsh for what was a small, humorous change. Hu Xijin, the former editor of a major state-run newspaper, wrote on social media that while he found Mr. Guo's version uncomfortable, he warned that punishing everyone harshly just to set an example would be a mistake.