A parody of the national anthem calling all men 'losers' and mentioning Godzilla is proving a hit as a mobile-phone ring tone.
The lyrics of the emotive and militant The March of the Volunteers, which describe the wrath of the Chinese people against imperialist aggression and their determination to protect the motherland against foreign invaders, have been rewritten into a nonsensical nursery-rhyme version.
The 28-second ditty, which is sung by a young boy, has been anonymously posted on the Web for free distribution.
An internet search found at least 20 websites or chat rooms that were carrying the song, and records showed it had been downloaded more than 20,000 times.
Ma Fung-kwok, local delegate to the National People's Congress and chairman of the Arts Development Council, said: 'There is a line between respect and being creative. And this revised version has crossed that fine line.
'Apparently, we need to improve civic education. We have to let people know that this kind of thing is not right.'
But the Hong Kong government said that unlike the national flag, it was not illegal to rework the national anthem.