Here is a compilation of rural Chinese advertising and government campaign slogans that were collected by netizens for both their frankness and humor. From illegal petitions to promoting the One Child Policy, these slogans are often crass and unapologetically direct. Perhaps in a way these advertisements reveal an aspect of rustic life that are both arduous and deviceful.

From Tianya:

Sternly strike down on pestering, harassing and unjustified petitioning. Illegal petitioning will be punished.

Golden liquor brewed from pure rice.

Illegal petitioning: first offense, warning, second offense detention, third offense laojiao (reeducation from labor).

Female pig in heat, please find Yang Xiang.

Looking for prostitute, please dial 15075-666605

Destroy one line of trees, death to your mother.

Beat it out! Fall it out! Flow it out! Just can’t born it out!

[If] the cockroaches don’t die, then I die.

Not sending your kids to school is illegal!

“Buy cell phones from Mr. Wang”, “Mr. Wang is a bargain,” “the government will even subsidize 13%!”

Illegal petitions, a lifetime of regret.

Good girls do not marry men who owe money, good men do not marry girls who owe money.

Left: Tantou Bone Clinic, Right: Tantou Ribs Restaurant [bad sign placement]

Doing drugs leads to the death and destruction of family. Selling drugs can only lead to death.

Faye Wong sponsoring Shanzhai anti-itch, anti-dandruff shampoo.

Those who are against investment companies are those against the Jiaohe people.

The child sets fires, the father goes to jail.

Staying away from drugs means staying far away from AIDS.

Not adhering to prevention harms oneself and harms everyone.

Strictly forbid Party cadres participating in group petition.

Poor regions needs to get rich, have less kids, and plant more trees.

Sharpening the axe won’t interfere with cutting wood，finish middle school then find work. [This is to encourage children (or their parents) to stay in school and complete their studies before rushing to find jobs — many children in poor families will often find work to help financially support the family.]

Finish middle school then look for work.

Implement voluntary education; do not collect school fees and miscellaneous fees.

The train killed my cow. Not only did they not compensate me, they broke the law.

Whoever is poor is whoever loses face/is an embarrassment.

Security for hire, hire me and you’ll be taken care of!

Better to profiteer from stocks than to commit robberies. – City Public Safety

If you don’t abort when you’re supposed to, we’ll tear down your house and take your cows. [not sure about this]

Criminals robbing the bank will be shot on sight – Local County Public Security.

Teacher Hu’s English can spread AIDS. [bad placement of ads]

Having culture/education can lead to riches, but without culture/education leads to bitter lives.

Congratulations to our school student’s parent Comrade Yang Liwei for becoming China’s first successful space astronaut.

People live here, do not tear down.

Person stealing manhole covers; get caught and your hands will be chopped off.

Play! This is your stage to display your brilliance.

Exceptionally good news: experts confirm Zhenping still have South China Tigers.

Refusing to pay and opposing paying farm taxes is a crime against the law. Dare to go against the government and we’ll see who is going to look bad.

Must liberate Taiwan!

Quicken our county’s pace in achieving education modernization.

One gun, two jin [2.6 pound] of drugs; two years in prison, enough said.

Preventing robbery every day, preventing thieves every night.

Those without culture go study, those with culture…

Must prepare for war – Mao Zedong

Confucius said: Benevolence involves two people. Unity is strength.

Police Warning: commit crime once, live as a thief forever.

China Mobile phone card, call while doing farm work.

Whoever burns [the crops] gets fined. Whoever gets burned is getting fined.

One Child Policy, husbands have responsibility.

Steal scallions, death to your children.

Dump garbage on the streets, death to your father.

Rather have blood flow like rivers, than to have another [child].

When spitting please spit outside to elevate one’s character.





Top: Raise people’s personal qualities. Bottom: Leaders’ xiaojie [prostitute] office.

Tourist comments:

Man: Fuck, I was given fake change yet again when taking the bus/taxi today, I’m so mad!

Man: Fuck, I was ripped off yet again when I rode a car without license plates today, so cruel/heartless!

Old man: Such bad luck, I took a black taxi and yet again was swindled out of 500 yuan, dog bastards!

Police: So stupid, why not go to proper bus stations to get a ride, only then can your safety be protected.

Low speed trucks carrying both people and goods, illegal ridership is a good way to see the lord of hell.

If you arbitrarily log [chop down things], I will arbitrarily punish.

Illegal petitioning. First time [offense] detention; second time laojiao [reeducation through labor]; third time, sentencing.

Forbidden to bring sticks, twigs, and leaves inside [bathroom].

Implement advanced education, put into practice advanced needs, forever preserve advanced qualities.

“The Three Represents”

Left-right: If I stay, the building stays, I will exist with the building. Top-down: Give back my property, give back my house.

Sternly stike down on illegal street-side prostitution and other criminal activities.

However poor you are, don’t skimp on education. No matter how difficult things are, don’t let it be so for your child.

One birth, fines. Two birth, sterilization. Over birth, sterilization and fines.

Bypassing the leadership to petition is illegal.

Development is the number one duty, innovation is the number one motivation.

Stability is the number one responsibility, people’s livelihood is the number one goal.

Harmony is the number one aspiration, honest government is the number one promise.

Fuck chicken king. [a dish]

I want to live, I want to eat.

Sternly strike down on the leaders of anti-policy group petitions.

Forbid Party Cadres from participating in group petitioning.

Pick up vegetables, steal vegetables, low class and shameful.

Forbid urinating on this wall, violators will be fined 100 yuan.

Sternly punish in accordance with the law the selling of infants and those criminals [responsible].

If you want to be successful, go to college. If you don’t go to college, it will be difficult to be successful.

Without permission, illegal use of the grounds/land will be punished.

Engaging in smuggling is shameful; to work and get rich is glorious.

During the course of relocation and removal we did not receive special treatments.

Notice: this road often have prostitutes using low prices to lure [customers] at houses for rent at Zhidun and Lujiang, in order to commit robbery. Respectfully warn all lustful men for the sake of self-love and clean body, prevent getting cheated in both body and wealth.

Sternly strike down on illegal criminal activities.

Whoever doesn’t obey the law and believe in the law is whoever will be beaten.

Illegally petition, face prison and fines.

Nanjie cadres have the drive.

Nanjie villagers have the guts.

Nanjie militia have the prowess.

Nanjie laborers have the vigor.

Nanjie products have the fame.

Nanjie people must be the loyal realizers of the “Three Represents”.

Stupid melon [idiot] plants melons, growing a stupid melon. Only with stupid melons, can China be saved.

Mao Zedong thought forever emanates brilliance.

If you want to progress, forever study Mao’s thought.

If you want to develop, forever follow the Party.

Mao Zedong is a person, not a god; Mao Zedong Thought, is greater than god.

The fundamental outlet for agriculture relies on mechanization.

Serving the public and not oneself is a wise person.

Serving the public and then oneself is a virtuous person.

Serving both the public and oneself is a good person.

Serving first oneself and then the public is a mediocre person.

Harming the public to enrich oneself is a bad person.

If you grow opium on the ground, there will be satellites in the sky to take pictures.

Correctly identify normal/natural bodily phenomenon – nocturnal emissions, each month emissions once or more is not a problem, ordinarily do not play with reproductive organs.

Look, I’m that most nutritious piece of bullshit. [advertisement for manure]

Dismantle thousand obstacles in order to obtain victory. [relics from the Cultural Revolution via Google Earth]

Abnormal petitioning [will result in] accordance with the law, first time, a warning. Second time, detention. Third time laojiao [reform/reeducation] or bear the responsibility.

You provide the labor, I provide the capital because only developing and earning money is the cold hard truth.

Having a boy or a girl is both good, a daughter can also pass on the future generation. [Picture of Brother Chun]

Comments from Tianya:

shenghaihui:

Let me add one!

Shenglong Hotel Dragon Spring Sauna Center (regular ice & fire service 150 yuan, ice & fire full service only 200 yuan)

CCAV总是放屁:

A backwards nation, a cupware people, there is no hope.

906795041:

The Party is really powerful.

张法成:

Great, very creative. Support unique advertisement, less flowery language, empty talk, and casual talk. This is the really truth of the bottom of society, let those so-called elegance die away.

牛肉专割局:

Is there illegal petitioning?

If it wasn’t the government breaking the law, how could there be petitions?

Are courts just for standing around and doing nothing?

g_iori:

Is petitioning really illegal in China? I really don’t know.

brightland:

The good part about not being a civil servant is that I can boldly ding this kind of post.

未曾得:

I’m laughing to tears!

beishangzhiren:

So talented.

1988OOOOOO:

Looks like the leaders are all afraid of petitions.

梦遗射tian_ya:

After seeing them all, my heart feels heavy. I can’t even laugh.

候鸟的呼吸:

Strongly oppose the One Child Policy. I want to have two kids, no matter a girl or a boy; a family can only be complete with two kids.

liangzhengyang:

So TM ruthless, the inherent bad habits of the nation!

xyq721016xyq:

Poverty, is also a way of life! Compared to those driving high emission BMWs and tearing down other people’s houses, they are a lot more civilized.

蘇小陌:

These pictures make one’s heart ache. Appealing [to the public] is a good thing, but things still can’t be accomplished, and the only thing left is to shout out slogans.

无锡外乡人:

I laugh,

and then want to cry

Having came from the countryside,

and seeing these slogans

I feel somewhat depressed.

Why don’t we ask with our conscience

why rural areas would have these slogans/propaganda banners.

印象思绪:

These are all the policy’s yakexi.

In heat. chinaSMACK personals.

