On November 28, many netizens in Yunnan expressed that they were startled in the early morning as loud broadcasts of “Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era” suddenly played across various locations in Yunnan. This broadcasting, which some described as “alarming and disturbing,” triggered complaints from the public, with some even resorting to using foul language online.
According to netizens, at midnight on that day, communities started loudly broadcasting content solely focused on the ideological beliefs of Chinese President Xi Jinping. Videos posted online clearly captured the sound of these broadcasts.
One netizen mentioned intentionally listening to the broadcast and hearing statements like “Economic development provides the material foundation and conditions for cultural construction,” which stirred political unease within them.
Netizens reported that it was not limited to just one community, as residential areas across the entire province of Yunnan were simultaneously exposed to these broadcasts.
The broadcasts led to numerous online complaints from the public such as: “It’s unbelievable, broadcasting across Yunnan in the middle of the night.” “The sudden loud broadcast is disturbing, leaving me wide awake.” “Alarming and disturbing broadcasts.” “At midnight, such a loud broadcast disturbing the peace, have you all lost your minds?” “Unbelievable, what kind of broadcast are they airing during the dead of night?”
Some even remarked, “Yunnan’s broadcasts are getting a bit cyberpunk.” “The North Korean-style transformation is accelerating once again.” “Cultural Revolution 2.0?”
In response to the incident, several local radio and television departments in Yunnan stated via mainland media that the emergency broadcasts occurred due to the reception of signals from the provincial-level broadcasting transmission. On August 31 of this year, Yunnan Radio and Television Station announced on its official website that the provincial-level emergency broadcast platform for 2024 construction projects had passed initial verification.
The topic of “Yunnan Midnight Broadcast” quickly became a trending discussion on Weibo that day but was promptly censored. Related reports in mainland media were also deleted across the internet.