BEIJING - Ministry of Culture on Friday pledged to adopt tough measures against illicit parodies of patriotic songs and step up supervision over online video platforms.

In response to controversy concerning a video spoof of the "Yellow River Cantata," a classic patriotic choral work, the ministry took immediate action to investigate the case, according to its official website.

Some 17 online video platforms were ordered to take down illicit content. A total of 3,898 video clips and 165 songs had been removed as of Tuesday.

The Yellow River Cantata, written in 1939 during the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-1945), depicts the heroic spirit of the Chinese people during the war.

A group of employees reportedly replaced the original lyrics with comedic content. Videos of the performance were uploaded to video websites, triggering controversy. Descendants of the composers of the song also voiced their anger over the spoof.

"Cultural websites should respect history and classic artworks, acting against illicit content," said the ministry on its website.