Shanzhai Gala insiders tell all

Zhou Changchun and Han Wei

What went wrong with the Shanzhai Gala? Why was it taped instead of being aired live? Why were so few people able to see it? Why has it become a sensitive word?

Changchun’s New Culture View spoke with two Gala participants who blamed government interference, fickle supporters, and media hype for turning it into the biggest bomb of the Spring Festival.

Nevertheless, organizer Lao Meng remains upbeat: he’s determined to try again next year and wants to continue putting on Shanzhai Galas for ten years.

On the last day of the year, Shanzhai Gala producer Lao Meng took the few staff members he had remaining to a bathhouse in Beijing to spend the night of New Year’s Eve. After all they had been through, not only was the Shanzhai Gala not broadcast live, it was only two days later that they were finally able to post videos of a dress rehearsal on a few no-name websites, bringing to a dismal close a project that had started out with such promise. Han Wei, branding supervisor for the Gala, and Zhou Changchun, a performer, visited this newspaper yesterday to discuss the various reasons that the Gala failed.

Reason 1: “The Beijing government’s cultural agencies were ruthless”

The first sentence Han Wei uttered upon meeting the reporter was “The Beijing government’s cultural agencies are ruthless, and Lao Meng paid the price.” Han said that the bureau exercised very tight control over the program: “No more than 200 people were allowed to attend, and they did not allow the organizers to engage in any profit-making activities such as selling tickets, recruiting sponsors, or inserting advertisements.” Han recalled that a dozen or so culture agents were sent to Lao Meng’s office before the Spring Festival. They closed the door and interrogated him for ages, scaring a lot of performers into packing up their things and heading home.

When the Gala was finished, the one thing people really wanted to know was how much money Lao Meng earned off it. Han said, “What earnings? He lost money on it. He couldn’t take ads, couldn’t have sponsors, and our lodgings, and meals were all provided by generous supporters.”

Reason 2: Kicked out of a resort, moved to a bathhouse

Although the Shanzhai Gala was unable to be broadcast live, it had already created quite a stir in China and a group of “enthusiasts” provided free services for Lao Meng. In mid-January, the owner of a resort in Xiaotangshan, in Beijing’s Changping District, called up Lao Meng to offer him free food, lodging, and rehearsal space. Lao Meng and more than 200 performers finally had a formal location to set up camp. But on the last day before the Festival, the resort suddenly demanded that all cast and crew move out: he would no longer provide them with food and lodging. Two hundred people gaped in astonishment, but as guests there was nothing they could do, so they started moving out.

“I was the last to leave the resort. It was an awful feeling pulling the posters down from the walls,” said actor Zhou Changchun. They all gathered at a bathhouse, which was also arranged by one of their friends. Zhou said, “There were twenty-two men and thirteen women. The ticket price was 168 yuan apiece, which didn’t include a massage. After a discount it all came out to 5,560 yuan. A friend covered it as a way of getting everyone together for the new year.”

Reason 3: Too much media attention

Lao Meng success in arranging the Shanzhai Gala relied heavily on the media. If it weren’t for the media controversy, he’d probably still be just a small project manager in a room outside Beijing’s Fourth Ring Road. But Gala’s ultimate failure to reach viewers was, according to Han, “actually due to over-exposure in the media.” Han told me that at first, the Shanzhai Gala had arranged to partner with Guizhou TV and had signed a contract to be broadcast live. But media exposure drew the attention of SARFT, and in the end all the major TV stations wanted nothing to do with the Gala. Then Lao Meng turned his focus toward major websites like Tencent which were interested in partnering with him, but after this was exposed in the media, regulatory departments gradually moved to shut him down. Zhou sighed: “Later, we were chased all over by reporters. I guess it really doesn’t work unless you manage to find the exact right degree.”

Lao Meng: Another Shanzhai Gala next year

Reached by phone yesterday, Lao Meng said that he hasn’t been swayed in his determination to put on a Shanzhai Gala. He plans to start preparations mid-year and said that he’s confident that with enough planning, he’ll be able to put on a Shanzhai Gala for ten years running!