Bob Dylan has been approved by China's Ministry of Culture to play his first-ever concerts in the country. According to a notice on the Ministry's website, Dylan will be allowed to perform in Beijing between March 30th and April 12th. Dylan also applied to play a gig in Shanghai, but the Ministry has yet to announce approval for that request.

Photos: Early Bob Dylan

Dylan had planned to play shows in Beijing and Shanghai last year, but those dates were canceled as a result of complications with the Ministry and an apparent financial dispute with a Taiwanese promoter. The singer applied again more recently to add stops in China to a larger Asian tour that includes scheduled shows in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Photos: Bob Dylan on the Cover of 'Rolling Stone'

The approval notice for Dylan's appearance in Beijing will require him to stick with a setlist that has been vetted by Chinese officials. No details have been released regarding what Dylan material was deemed appropriate for Chinese audiences, but it is likely that his more politically oriented songs did not make the cut.

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