Controversy continues to surround the adaptation of the revolutionary song “Play My Beloved Pipa” by Guo Degang, a renowned Chinese crosstalk performer and co-founder of De Yun She. After his performance in Wuhan triggered a public outcry leading to fines of nearly 600,000 RMB for the organizers and venue, a similar situation arose from Guo Degang’s July performance of “Ji Gong Living Buddha” in Taiyuan City.
The complaint this time pertains to Guo Degang’s special performance of “Ji Gong Living Buddha” at the Shanxi Grand Theater in Taiyuan on July 16. This complaint was filed retrospectively, following the previous incident in Wuhan where his modification of “Play My Beloved Pipa” had resulted in penalties imposed by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Netizens discovered similar alterations in the Taiyuan performance and subsequently reported it to local authorities.
“Play My Beloved Pipa” is an official propaganda song from the state-sponsored film “Railroad Guerrillas.” According to reports, Guo Degang changed the original lyrics “quietly on Lake Weishan” to “quietly in the Forbidden City” and added humorous phrases for dramatic effect. The video clips of his performance went viral, prompting skepticism and reports from the public.
On September 7, the Wuhan Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism announced penalties against the event organizers, Jiangsu Zidi Ruichen Sports Cultural Industry Development Co., Ltd., for warning and confiscating illegal earnings of 48,687.4 RMB, in addition to a fine of 486,874 RMB. The venue operator, Wuhan Zhongnan Theater Management Co., Ltd., was warned and fined 110,000 RMB. The total fines amounted to 596,874 RMB, with further confiscation of illegal earnings.
In a report by Phoenix News, it was revealed that Guo Degang also sang a similar modified segment during his performance of “Ji Gong Living Buddha” at the Shanxi Grand Theater in Taiyuan on July 16, 2026. After netizens found footage of the show, they reported the incident to the Taiyuan Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism on October 13, requesting an investigation into whether the segment had been approved in advance and if the relevant parties should face consequences.
On October 20, the Jinyuan District Government in Taiyuan responded through the 12345 government service platform stating that the performance had been granted a commercial entertainment permit numbered 140110512026000047, with Beijing Huanyu Brothers International Cultural Media Co., Ltd. listed as the organizer.
The government disclosed that the additional modified segment was not included in the original approval documents and that no procedures for changing program content had been followed. The relevant departments are currently collecting audiovisual evidence and progressing with the investigation.
As of October 23, 2026, Guo Degang has yet to publicly address the fines imposed following the Wuhan incident and the reports made regarding the Taiyuan performance.