An english version of a book about Karl Marx appears at a book fair in Beijing, on Aug. 26, 2015.(Xinhua)
How to make Marxism attractive to the Chinese youth? Maybe a rap! A program soon to be on air in north China has become an online hit as the preview theme song uses the language of the millennial generation to expound the philosophy that has reshaped the world's most populous nation.
The nine-episode program, titled "Marx is trustworthy," will be the first of a series of "reading show" on the regional Inner Mogolia TV. Designed to introduce Marxism in a way appealing to the young audience, it will be all hosted by young people born in the 1980s, known in China as the "post-80s generation".
The theme song released in March, "Marx is a post-90s," makes the late great icon renewed again and has been much talked about among netizens over the past month. With lyrics in both English and Chinese, the rap song draws a connection between Karl Marx and qualities that China's post-1990s generation aspire to.
The chorus includes the lines "Not for power. Not for money. But for faith, we march ahead." and "We both won't give up till we die."
"The lyrics just wanted to tell everyone that, Marxism is still in fashion," said Zhuo Sina, the songwriter, during an interview with the website of the People's Daily. "It is not something outdated or to be put on shelves."
Karl Marx is a household name in China, where college students are required to take "theoretical thinking" courses that include Marxism. But their feelings towards the course are sometimes mixed.
"My first impression about him [Karl Marx] is on the Politics class. I learned it in order to pass the exam," the song's lyrics go, "Later I open the book, I find I don't hate it. One day, I will know he is really sharp."
One of the lecturers, Lu Gang, called their show a "rare attempt" to popularize Marxist ideas. It will combine television shows with online platforms to introduce Marxist thinking and his major works. According to Lu, the show will adopt Marxist principles to explain what's happening in today's world.
"We hope that after our show, many young people can go to the library and bookstores, and actually read one of Marx's books they're interested in," said Feng Wei, who is also among the show's lecturers.
It seems that the theme song has already won the hearts of some. "The song is quite pleasant to hear," said one Weibo user. Another user called the song "positive energy from the young people."
