Authorities reject call to alter Lu Xun smoking mural amid public debate

A mural of famed Chinese writer Lu Xun smoking at his hometown memorial has sparked debate after a visitor complained it could glamorize smoking for young people.

The artwork, a popular photo spot at the Lu Xun Memorial Hall in Shaoxing, depicts the author with his signature cigarette. Some visitors have staged photos with real cigarettes or lighters in front of the wall.

Earlier this week, a visitor surnamed Sun lodged a complaint via Zhejiang province's government platform, saying the artwork risked glamorizing smoking and could be a "negative influence" on teenagers, according to CCTV.

Local cultural authorities confirmed they had received the complaint but said any decision on altering the mural would require broader consultation.

"We will not make changes based solely on one person's opinion," a Shaoxing cultural official told reporters on Monday, adding that many members of the public had urged the memorial to preserve the mural as part of Lu Xun's historic image.

Lu Xun (1881–1936), one of modern China's most influential writers, was known as a heavy smoker, with numerous photos and woodblock prints depicting him with a cigarette.

Scholars and commentators argued that removing the image would distort history. "Nearly a century ago, smoking was neither considered a vice nor condemned as a public health hazard," according to CCTV's report.

"To judge a historical figure by today's standards of public etiquette is simply misguided."

Critics of the complaint also said it wasted public resources, while supporters said public spaces should avoid imagery that could normalize smoking.

The controversy echoes an earlier uproar in 2024, when a tea brand apologized after using Lu Xun's likeness in a campaign titled "Old Smoker, New Youth."