Recently, in Zunyi City, Guizhou Province, Mainland China, a newly opened hair salon named “Supreme Hair Institute” caught attention for its slogan on the advertising sign saying “Handling the people’s top priority.” However, using puns under the rule of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is considered taboo and the salon was ordered to change its name by the city regulatory authority just one day after opening, leading to a heated discussion.
On August 14th, an account named “Supreme Hair Institute” posted a video on the Douyin platform, promoting the newly opened salon with services like hair styling, dyeing, and perms. The entrance of the salon was adorned with congratulatory flower baskets and a banner saying “Grand Opening Specials.” However, this unique name quickly drew attention.
Some Chinese citizens expressed to Epoch Times, “In China, the politicians and systems are different from those in foreign countries. In the United States, using homophones in names would not be regulated by the government, but it’s not allowed here in China.”
One citizen noted, “It feels like belittling or mocking the Supreme Court when using this name that implies the highest court is doing a trivial job like cutting hair. They surely wouldn’t allow this, showing they are afraid of the common people.”
According to a report from CCP’s official media, on the early morning of August 15th, the director of the Zunyi Renhuai Market Supervision Administration went to the salon and demanded it to rectify the situation, change its name, and remove the sign.
On August 15th, the original owner of “Supreme Hair Institute” posted a video on the Douyin platform saying, “I have removed the signboard, and now I am thinking of a new name that sounds good and is easy to remember.”
Another Chinese citizen, Mr. Wang, mentioned that the language of traditional Chinese culture is rich, but under CCP rule, some terms are very sensitive and closely monitored, including puns and wordplays.
Mr. Wang expressed, “Our country doesn’t have proper laws or regulations. No one decent enforces the laws; it’s the local authorities or those with a bit of power who decide how to do things, whether it complies or not, they will do as they please.”
A Chinese lawyer on social media stated that although businesses have the right to choose their names freely, they are not allowed to use or indirectly reference official organization names or abbreviations. Names like “Supreme Hair Academy,” “Top Cut,” or “Trimming Court” are not acceptable.
The lawyer further commented that the boldest namer might be a legal consulting firm named “China Supreme People’s Law Consultation Limited Company,” which likely operates only in Hong Kong due to restrictions in Mainland China; otherwise, their storefront sign would be taken down in no time.
Some netizens expressed their views, with one saying, “This creativity and clever naming are definitely not in line with the relevant department’s regulations.”
While another netizen commented, “This is truly ingenious in naming. The authorities are just too sensitive; they had it torn down within a day of opening.”