March of the Volunteers
Because of its associations with the Cultural Revolution, the song was rarely heard after the rise of Deng Xiaoping in the late 1970s. Today in China the song is considered by some to be a somewhat unseemly reminder of the cult of personality associated with Mao. Its official use has largely been replaced by the "March of the Volunteers", whose lyrics mention neither the Communist Party nor Mao. "The East Is Red" is still commonly heard in recordings played by electronic cigarette lighters bearing Mao's face that are popular with tourists.