Mapping China: Music - State Policy: Commissions

Various Chinese governments are not only restricting culture they dislike through censorship, but also promoting culture they like through commissions.

National State Ceremonies

Most of these commissions and endorsements relate to large scale state ceremonies:

• Hong Kong handover in 1997.
• The opening and closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
• The 60th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 2009.
• The World Expo in Shanghai in 2010.
• Military Parade in 2015.

The program at such events consists of

• Military music and official propaganda singers.
• Hong Kong and Taiwanese super stars such as Andy Lau and Jay Chou.
• The Hong Kong based scholar Anthony Fung has noted that PRC pop singers such as Super Girl winner Chris Lee are left out. That is because these local singers don’t have the international cachet, but also because these singers remind PRC officials of the fact that domestic audiences have their own tastes and desires.

Local State-Sponsored Events

Local Chinese governments traditionally organize cultural events, to promote policies, celebrate achievements or promote tourism. These events used to make exclusive use of official singers, television and other formats of the central media.

• The Same Song is a weekly music program of CCTV, since 2000. It travels to different locations and local government vie to get the program to their cities in order to get nation-wide exposure.
• Local government also organize their own events. The Nanning International Folk Song Festival is held yearly since 1999 in this south Chinese city. The festival is also known by the title of its theme song “Big Earth Flying Song” (dadi feige), for which the city government commissioned Song Zuying.
• In the course of the 1990s and 2000s, local governments have increasingly included pop music performances in the programs of these events. For mainland Chinese, Hong Kong and Taiwanese pop stars, singing three or four songs at various events throughout the year adds up to a around 25% of their income.
• Music Festivals became an additional possibility for local governments since 2007. Music festivals bring younger audiences and are potentially profitable (see “PRC Festivals”).
• In Hong Kong the government supports the Hong Kong Arts Festival.
• In Taiwan the Ho Hai Yan is government sponsored and so is the New Year party at the 101.

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