Ep 54: Many Anthems, Many Chinas
In late November 2022, just last month, protests broke out all over China. People took to the streets to voice their discontent against the “Zero Covid” policies of the Chinese government. This came from months of frustration and suffering under the zero covid policies and the strict social control the Chinese state, the CCP government, had enforced on its people.
After at least 10 lives lost and many injured in the No 24th fire in Xinjing, Ürümqi, during which zero covid lockdown measures impeded the rescue and escape of the victims trapped inside the building, people marched in front of a local government building. Surprisingly yet, they waved the Chinese national flag and sang the Chinese national anthem to voice their dissent.
In this episode we discuss how the many versions of Chinese National Anthems in the past 150 years reflect the needs of the Chinese state at the time. Though sometimes, people use the tool of nationalism to combat the grip the ruling class has on the nation.
2022年11月，在乌鲁木齐的大火之后，人们走向了街头抗议。在一栋政府大楼面前，示威者们一度一起唱起了《义勇军进行曲》。国歌在大多数情况下，是国家主义的工具，是民族主义与爱国教育的化身表达。但是当中国的抗议者们借它来表达对政府的愤怒的时候，也意味着中共政府借民族国家主义为自己正名的把戏被戳穿。
在2022年春季的上海封城期间，政府和社交媒体平台也曾多次审查屏蔽《义勇军进行曲》的歌词。这是一首所有人都耳熟能详的歌曲，我们都能说得出它的每一句歌词。在言论和创作审查严厉的高压之下，难以找到有效的、有共鸣的表达的人们，此时可能会借助国家框架下的语言表达，将它转化为己有，作为彼此鼓励、共鸣、创造联结的口号。
在这一集播客里，我们回顾了中国过去150年间的“国歌“历史。后半段的播客专注于《义勇军进行曲》的历史以及词作者田汉在新中国成立后，政治运动中的苦难经历。文革中的《义勇军进行曲》的歌词被消失，甚至经常被《东方红》等歌曲代替。文革后的新版歌词却没有放弃歌功颂德毛泽东的英明领导。
而在最近的十年间，中共在香港大力推行爱国主义教育，集体歌唱国歌的仪式是重要的一环。我们还讨论了香港的人们是如何抵抗这种洗脑式的爱国主义教育的。
Music:
Rogers, Walter B, and Victor Military Band. China national air 'The world's delight'. 1914. Audio. https://www.loc.gov/item/jukebox-11129/.
Recommended Reading:
1. 香港立法會 CB(2)1300/17-18(21)號文件 LC Paper No. CB(2)1300/17-18(21): 唱國歌，的確很感動流淚? By 陳永浩博士,恒生管理學院社會科學系助理教授
2. Re-envisioning the Chinese Revolution, The Politics and Poetics of Collective Memories in Reform China, 2007