BEIJING, Aug 19 — One improvised lyric has landed one of China’s biggest comedians in decidedly unfunny territory.

Guo Degang, the household-name performer credited with reviving traditional Chinese crosstalk comedy, is under investigation after altering the words of a well-known revolutionary song during a performance in Wuhan last month, CNN reported.

Some performances on Guo’s nationwide tour have since been cancelled as authorities examine whether his unscripted gag breached China’s rules governing commercial performances.

The controversy centres on Playing My Beloved Pipa, a song associated with communist guerrillas fighting Japanese forces during the Sino-Japanese War and featured in the 1950s film Railroad Guerrillas. In 2019, it was selected as one of 100 songs marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

During his Wuhan show at the end of July, Guo departed from the familiar lyrics.

The original line refers to the sun setting as “all is quiet on Weishan lake”. Guo instead sang “all is quiet in the Forbidden City”, delivering the altered version for comic effect.

The change prompted a complaint to Wuhan’s Culture and Tourism Bureau accusing him of having “not only distorted and vulgarised a classic revolutionary work, but also violated public morals and accepted standards of conduct”, CNN reported, citing a letter published by state-affiliated outlet thePaper.

According to thePaper, the bureau said: “the adapted portion performed by Guo Degang was not included in the materials submitted for prior approval and is suspected of violating the Regulations on the Administration of Commercial Performances”.

The bureau confirmed to CNN that its investigation remains ongoing and said there was no timetable for announcing its findings. CNN said it had contacted Guo for comment.

The fallout has already reached his tour schedule.

“There is no date or plan for a possible return. Ticket holders will be refunded automatically,” a worker at Xi’an Chanba Poly Grand Theatre, where Guo had been due to perform this week, told CNN.

Guo is one of the biggest names in xiangsheng, or crosstalk, a traditional form of Chinese comedy built around dialogue, wordplay and verbal sparring. He has been widely credited with returning the art form to mainstream popularity and also co-founded the Qilin theatre company to promote traditional performance styles to wider audiences.

News of the investigation has become a major talking point on Chinese social media, where reaction has been divided.

Some users argued that revolutionary, or “red”, songs should not be altered for comedy.

“Art is to serve the people, if people don’t like it then please do not make such art,” one user wrote, according to CNN.

Others suggested authorities were being “oversensitive”.

The episode highlights the narrow boundaries faced by performers in China, where entertainment and media remain subject to close political and regulatory scrutiny.

Guo is not the first comic to discover how costly a punchline can become.

In 2023, stand-up comedian Li Haoshi was fined 14.7 million yuan after using a phrase associated with the People’s Liberation Army while joking about two stray dogs. He apologised after the routine prompted an official backlash and was subsequently barred from performing indefinitely, CNN reported.

A year earlier, comedian Li Bo was fined 50,000 yuan for jokes touching on Shanghai’s Covid-19 lockdown and teenagers.