Fan Bingbing’s return to the Chinese entertainment scene is a momentous event, marking a rare victory over the country’s strict censorship policies. The actress, once one of China’s biggest stars, was blacklisted in 2018 after a tax evasion scandal. Her absence from the screen has been felt deeply, both by fans and the industry itself.
Now, six years later, Fan is set to make her comeback with a starring role in , a Hong Kong-Korean production. This film, a story about a repressed Chinese immigrant who flees with a mysterious woman, signifies her return to Chinese cinema after a long hiatus. It is a comeback many never expected to see.
The road to Fan’s return was paved with controversy. In 2018, Chinese tax authorities launched an investigation into the actress after filmmaker Feng Xiaogang revealed details of her contracts, sparking rumors of tax evasion. Fan was subsequently ordered to pay a hefty CN¥883 million (€110 million) in taxes. This led to a severe crackdown on the entertainment industry, with over CN¥11.747 billion (€1.52 billion) in taxes being declared.
Following the scandal, Fan’s work was blacklisted in mainland China. She was unable to work on film and television projects and her previously completed works were pulled from distribution. While her career in China seemingly came to an abrupt end, Fan was still able to maintain her social media presence, which she cleverly used to launch her own beauty brand, Fan Beauty, ensuring a continued source of income. This unusual situation, combined with her return to acting, paints a complex picture of how artists navigate the complexities of China’s censorship policies.
Fan’s return is a notable example of a Chinese artist surviving the harsh realities of censorship. China’s censorship regime has a history of silencing artists and banning works that challenge the government’s narrative. The 2018 film , starring Ewan McGregor, was banned for its portrayal of Winnie-the-Pooh, which had been used in internet memes to satirize President Xi Jinping.
Even celebrated director , known for his epic historical martial arts dramas and his work on the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 and 2022 Olympic Games, has faced the censor’s wrath. His 1994 film , a poignant retelling of the Cultural Revolution, was banned for its critical portrayal of the Chinese Communist Party, despite winning prestigious awards at the Cannes Film Festival.
The impact of China’s censorship goes beyond the film industry. It has forced many artists to flee the country to continue their creative work. Visual artist Ai Weiwei, who was critical of the Chinese government, was allowed to leave the country in 2015 following his 2011 arrest. His story, along with the stories of many other artists featured in the ‘目 Chine’ (‘Eye China’) exhibition at the Pompidou Centre, highlights the ongoing struggles of artistic freedom in China.
Fan Bingbing’s comeback, while a rare victory, does not signify a change in China’s censorship policies. However, her return has raised important questions about the future of artistic expression in a country where freedom of creativity is constantly challenged.