An improvised moment on stage by a famous Chinese comedian has disrupted the plans of a performing arts troupe that has been operating for 30 years.
On a whim, he adapted the familiar original lyric "Quiet is the night over Weishan Lake" into "Quiet is the night over the Forbidden City."
The Forbidden City, the ancient Beijing palace complex that housed China’s emperors for centuries, carries a potential political connection to the country's leader.
Guo's modification brought about a formal case opening by cultural and tourism authorities, the emergency cancellation of scheduled tour dates, and intense online discussion. Many believe this spells an upcoming disaster for Guo himself and his performance troupe.
Improvisation in traditional comedy has always been a vital way for folk arts to retain their vitality. Actors adding or changing a line on the fly based on the scene and audience reactions is precisely what gives live performances their unique charm over recordings.
Yet, "Play My Beloved Pipa" is no ordinary tune. As a classic insert song from the famous red film Railway Guerrilla, it tells the story of communist guerrilla fighters during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression.
In 2019, it was even selected by the Central Propaganda Department as one of the "100 Outstanding Songs Celebrating the 70th Anniversary of the Founding of China."
According to Chinese media reports, the Wuhan Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism officially replied and initiated a formal investigation on Aug. 11.
The official said that the improvised segment is suspected of violating relevant provisions of the regulations on the Administration of Commercial Performances regarding the reporting and approval of performance content. Whether the content involves other issues remains under verification and investigation.
Ironically, this song and its composer, Lyu Qiming, suffered severe criticism and "struggle sessions" during the Cultural Revolution. The song, which is regarded as a "red classic" today, was once accused of harboring "petty-bourgeois sentimentality."
It was because the melody of "The sun in the west is about to set, quiet is the night over Weishan Lake," was considered overly beautiful, lyrical, and gentle, whereas leftist ideology dictated that art had to be "high-pitched, passionate, and militant."
Critics argued that guerrilla fighters taking the time to pluck a pipa, gaze at the sunset, and express feelings amidst brutal warfare demonstrated a "lack of revolutionary fighting spirit."
Under China's regulations on the Administration of Commercial Performances, it is explicitly stipulated that any entity or individual may report performance behaviors that violate the regulations. Culture authorities must record and investigate upon receiving public reports, and financial rewards may be granted to informants if the report is verified.
As a result, an ordinary audience member entering the theater assumes a dual identity: they are both a spectator and a potential supervisor. They can scrutinize after the show: Is this sentence illegal? Is there a political metaphor in this line? Does this hurt certain feelings? Which department should this be reported to?
"Truly efficient control relies on people monitoring themselves, and subsequently monitoring one another. Teachers worry about students recording them; professors worry about a single line in class being clipped out of context; actors worry about audience members filming; editors worry about reader reports; platforms worry about regulatory penalties; and companies worry about a single employee's statement bringing disaster upon the firm," Edysen wrote.
The controversy quickly went viral online, sparking heated discussions across social media.
One netizen quipped, "If even that doesn't work, then how about 'the sun rises in the west?'"
Another replied, "Rising in the west is even worse—they'll say you're implying that Western countries are better."
"Have they really panicked to this extent?"
Others asked Guo: "Why couldn't you just stick to making your money in peace? Why did you have to mess with the Forbidden City?"
"The last time I heard of people being this obsessive over music was the Taliban—they just banned music altogether."
This incident unfolded just as Guo was celebrating his troupe's 30th anniversary. Starting in the spring of 2026, He and his stage partner had just kicked off a global comedy tour to mark the milestone.
At present, the investigation by the Wuhan Bureau of Culture and Tourism is still underway, and the final administrative penalties or outcome have not yet been publicly announced.