Recently, a heated discussion about the advertising painting in the Nanning subway station, the capital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, has aroused discussion among netizens. The advertisement was photographed by netizens and uploaded to social platforms because it involved a suspected "Japanese military flag", causing an uproar in public opinion.
Based on the clips and interpretations uploaded by netizens, many people mistook the advertising painting for the Japanese military flag, and some even pointed out that the advertising painting was accompanied by Japan's national flower, cherry blossoms.
The Rising Sun Flag is a well-known Japanese military symbol, with a white cross on a red background and an outer ring of 16 radial rays of light, which is widely regarded as a symbol of militarism and aggression in the international community, with an obvious negative historical label. Therefore, disagreements on its use are often prone to public conflict.
However, it is worth noting that the pictures exposed by netizens did not reveal the full picture of the advertising painting. In fact, the flag is actually used to support the folding fan, and the flowers in the advertisement are not cherry blossoms, but plum blossoms, which are very traditional Chinese imagery, symbolizing the "Five Blessings".
In response to this matter, Nanning Metro issued an explanation statement, saying that during the festival, the advertising design was inspired by traditional Chinese cultural elements such as lanterns, fireworks, dragon and lion dance, moire, folding fans, plum blossoms, etc., aiming to create a strong festive atmosphere.
Although this explanation was supported by most netizens, the doubters were accused of being too sensitive and misinterpreting the situation. However, unexpectedly, even after providing detailed inquiries, Nanning Metro decided to accept the complaint and immediately ordered the removal of the advertisement.
The removal of the painting has aroused more doubts, and most netizens said that this is just a normal folding fan, so why remove it? Some people even asked whether this connived at malicious reporting.
Looking at this advertisement as an individual, there may be a variety of opinions and complex emotions.
However, Nanning Metro, as an institution that provides public services, would obviously deviate from its responsibilities if it hastily withdrew its advertisements just because of the misperception of a few people. This raises concerns about creative freedom.
The Nanning Metro should make it clear to the public that this is just a fan and does not need to be removed. However, in the absence of a strong rebuttal, the matter further aroused public dissent and resentment.
This phenomenon reminds us that, in certain situations, it is essential to take firm action to uphold facts and reasonableness. The public has enough discernment to scrutinize and not be deceived by superficial appearances.
The Nanning subway advertising storm reflects the challenges between the understanding of artworks and the decision-making principles of public service agencies.
Looking ahead, it is hoped that public utilities can remain calm when dealing with similar incidents, weigh the rights and interests of all parties, and not easily let public pressure influence decision-making, so as to protect the freedom of creation in the public sphere.