Guo Degang Also 'Disappeared'? Investigated Over Rewriting Lyrics of Revolutionary Songs, China's Comedy Legend Faces Probe

Wuhan's Culture and Tourism Bureau confirmed to AFP on Sunday (August 23) that an investigation into xiangsheng performer Guo Degang is underway. Guo is under investigation for rewriting lyrics of a revolutionary song during a performance in July, and all his recent shows have been postponed.

"The sun in the west is about to set, the Forbidden City stands quietly." On July 24 this year, the famous xiangsheng performer Guo Degang, dressed in a Ji Gong costume, altered a line from the classic anti-Japanese war film 'Railway Guerrillas' theme song 'Play My Beloved Tepipa'—changing "quietly on Weishan Lake" to "quietly in the Forbidden City"—during a performance in Wuhan.

Half a month later, on August 11, the Wuhan Culture and Tourism Bureau announced that, following online reports, it had determined Guo Degang's unapproved on-site lyric changes constituted a violation, and formally initiated an investigation. The news immediately went viral across the internet.

According to China's 'Regulations on the Administration of Commercial Performances,' commercial performances must follow the principle of 'approval before performance.' Event organizers must submit all content—including performance repertoire, lyrics, performance flow, cast list, and audiovisual materials—to cultural and tourism authorities for prior review and approval. The actual on-site performance must match the approved content. Any unauthorized additions or lyric changes without resubmission are considered violations.

After being placed under investigation, three performances scheduled for August 20, 21, and 22 featuring Guo Degang were postponed by the organizers citing 'venue issues,' and ticket holders were refunded in full.

The Crisis of Xiangsheng

Guo Degang performed on China Central Television's Spring Festival Gala in 2013 with his partner Yu Qian, presenting his self-written xiangsheng piece 'The Spendthrift.' He founded Deyun Society in Beijing in 1995, pioneering the commercialization of xiangsheng performances. Over the past 20 years, Deyun Society has trained numerous well-known xiangsheng performers, and Guo Degang has been hailed as a major contributor to the preservation and modern operation of this traditional art form.

However, since rising to fame, Guo Degang has faced multiple crises. Rooted in folk culture and using humor, mimicry, teasing, and singing as performance elements, xiangsheng entertains through wit while using colloquial language to satirize social issues and reflect everyday life. Around 2006, amid a 'rectification movement' in the xiangsheng world, Deyun Society was forced in 2010 to suspend operations for self-inspection under the policy pressure of 'anti-vulgarity, anti-banality, anti-sensationalism' (anti-three vulgarities), and several audiovisual products were pulled from shelves.

In late November 2025, Guo Degang and Yu Qian performed the xiangsheng piece 'The Skilled Are Cowards' at the Beijing Exhibition Hall Theater, which was reported for being 'vulgar' and allegedly 'defaming state-owned performance troupes.' The Xicheng District Culture and Tourism Bureau in Beijing subsequently summoned Deyun Society and demanded rectification.

Public opinion online is divided over Guo Degang's current investigation, with widespread commentary. Some support the investigation, arguing that altering the lyrics and melody of revolutionary songs shows a lack of reverence for martyrs and revolutionary classics. Others point out, 'Under normal circumstances, an actor singing an old song on stage and improvising a few words based on plot, character, or atmosphere isn't particularly unusual.' After all, xiangsheng is inherently a traditional comedic art form blending scripted and improvised performance.

Some also believe the real issue isn't merely the lyric change, but the content altered: the Forbidden City is often used as a metaphor for China's highest power center. When 'quietly in the Forbidden City' is paired with the preceding line 'the sun in the west is about to set,' it risks implying politically sensitive metaphors. On X (formerly Twitter), accessible only via circumvention tools for Chinese netizens, one user wrote: '“Quietly in the Forbidden City” isn't inherently problematic—the issue is that it follows “the sun in the west is about to set,” together suggesting the Forbidden City itself is nearing sunset.' Others commented: 'Paranoia reigns; the era of literary inquisition has just begun,' and 'Well, Cultural Revolution 2.0 is about to premiere.'

Netizens have also discussed the culture of reporting: 'You never know which word, expression, or gesture might become grounds for someone to report you. That's the most terrifying aspect of reporting culture: it makes everyone live in fear... You only know someone dislikes you, and then you disappear!'

In 2023, Xiaoguo Culture's stand-up comedian HOUSE (Li Haoshi) described how his two adopted stray dogs chasing squirrels reminded him of the eight characters 'excellent conduct, capable of winning battles,' leading to reports and accusations of insulting the people's army. Although both Xiaoguo Culture and Li Haoshi issued apology statements the same day, Li was still indefinitely suspended from all entertainment activities, and Xiaoguo Culture was fined 13.35 million yuan.

Following the Wuhan Culture and Tourism Bureau's investigation into Guo Degang, neither Guo nor Deyun Society has publicly responded, maintaining silence.

The New York Times published an article titled 'Guo Degang Investigated for Rewriting Red Song Lyrics, China's Space for Speech Shrinks,' stating: 'His experience highlights the delicate balance comedians must navigate in a heavily censored creative environment. The comedy stage once provided a rare venue for people to indirectly express criticism of contemporary Chinese life, but as President Xi Jinping has prioritized cultural and artistic fields in ideological rectification, the space for self-expression is rapidly shrinking.'