China's new rules for singing national anthem

China's 1.3 billion citizens may soon find it much harder to belt out their national anthem at will.
A series of rules proposed by the government will set strict limits on when, where and how "March of the Volunteers" -- the anthem of the People's Republic since 1949 -- can be performed, state-run Xinhua news agency reported Friday.
The anthem is not allowed to be played or sung at private weddings and funerals, dancing parties, commercial events, or any other setting with "an inappropriate atmosphere."
When singing the anthem, people should dress appropriately, stand still and be full of energy, according to the government.
Follow the rhythm
The rules then get technical: People must sing the powerful marching song in its entirety, enunciate every word and follow the rhythm. No one is permitted to start or stop singing midway -- and altering the melody, lyrics or musical arrangement is forbidden.
No whispering, applauding or talking on the phone, either, while the anthem is played.
There is no official word, yet, on how violators would be punished.
While some of those rules sound reasonable, others may be overly harsh, especially to Americans who are used to hearing adaptations of "The Star-Spangled Banner" as varied as Jimi Hendrix's instrumental rock version at the Woodstock music festival, to Whitney Houston's soulful rendition before the Super Bowl.
Creative alternatives