Mahler Gobi

马勒戈壁 (Mǎlè Gēbì): Mahler Gobi

A grass-mud horse encounters river crabs in the Mahler Gobi.

Home of the mythical creature grass-mud horse. Homophone of a Chinese curse word meaning “your mother’s fucking cunt” (妈了个逼 mā le ge bī).

The phrase 马勒戈壁 was popularized and politicized in 2009, along with grass-mud horse and River crab, when some netizens made a very popular music video named “The Song of the Grass-mud Horse” (草泥马之歌 cǎonímǎ zhīgē). The video used Mahler Gobi as a euphemism for state-controlled Internet. The word was then popularized to mock censorship and express discontent in general.

Examples:

Kongzhiyong (@孔智勇): Some people reprimand the education, but the Minister of Education Yuan Guiren just confirmed that "China has generally ensured no child would drop out of school due to poverty."...... Mahler Gobi!!! [weak]

有人指责教育，但教育部部长袁贵仁证实：“中国基本做到了没有一个学生因贫困失学”。…… 马勒戈壁！！！[弱] [Chinese]