The original singer of "Honghu Lake Water Beats the Waves" is Wang Yuzhen from Hubei Provincial Song and Dance Drama Theater. The lyrics were written by Mei Shaoshan, Zhu Benhe, Pan Jinjie, Zhang Jing'an and Ouyang Qianshu, and composed by Zhang Jing'an and Ouyang Qianshu. Released in the 1961 opera Honghu Red Guard.
Some of the lyrics are as follows: The water of Honghu Lake hits the waves, and the shore of Honghu Lake is our hometown. Early in the morning the boat goes out to cast a net, and at night it comes back to the cabin full of fish. The ducks and lotus roots are all over the place, and the autumn harvest is fragrant with rice.