Introduction
April 20, 1994. Beijing, Zhongguancun.
A single, fragile 64K international line quietly connects.
At that moment, no one realized that this hair-thin data cable would, over the next three decades, completely reshape the lifestyles, social habits, and even the thought patterns of over a billion people.
We went from the Golden Age of anonymity—where "nobody knows you're a dog"—to the era of "Information Cocoons," where algorithms know you better than you know yourself. We shifted from building "skyscrapers" of replies on forums to the numbing, 15-second swipe of short videos. The Chinese people have undergone the most dramatic digital migration in human history.
This is a story of connection and fracture, euphoria and aphasia, idealism and disillusionment. Over thirty years, we built countless digital town squares, only to watch them collapse or mutate one by one. Tianya is dead. Mop has gone cold. Renren was sold off. New platforms rise from the ashes, but while we gained the world, we may be losing the ability to talk to one another.
This is the thirty-year saga of the Chinese Internet community.
Chapter 1: Pre-History Dawn & Elite Enlightenment (1994-1998)
1.1 "Across the Great Wall": The Sociology of Connection
Before the internet became a utility, it was a tool for the elite. In this "pre-historic" era, access was a high barrier, reserved largely for scientific research and academia. This exclusivity defined the early culture: it was deeply rooted in "technological elitism" and idealism.
• The First Email (1987): Seven years before full connection, China sent its first email to Germany: "Across the Great Wall we can reach every corner in the world." It wasn't just a tech test; it was a cultural manifesto—a desire to converse with the globe.
• The Breakthrough (1994): That 64K line marked the official start. By 1996, the commercial network (ChinaNet) launched, linking with education and research networks.
• The Demographic: Before 1997, there were only 620,000 netizens in China, mostly researchers and college students. This homogeneity created an atmosphere akin to the "School of Athens"—rational, restrained, and worshipping technology.
1.2 The Birth of BBS: From CFido to "Waterwood Tsinghua"
Before the World Wide Web (WWW) took over, social needs were met by Telnet-based BBS (Bulletin Board Systems) and the dial-up network CFido.
• CFido (The Underground Network): This was the gathering place for China's top computer minds (including future tech titans like Pony Ma of Tencent and Lei Jun of Xiaomi). It operated on a "Geek Spirit" and "Ethic of Mutual Aid."
• The Campus BBS: As the academic network (CERNET) grew, university boards exploded. The most legendary was "Waterwood Tsinghua" (SMTH), launched in 1995.
◦ The Vibe: In an era where bandwidth was gold, getting online was a ritual. Students queued for hours for 60 minutes of terminal time.
◦ The Filter: The interface was a black screen with green command-line text. This technical barrier naturally filtered out non-technical users, creating a community with incredibly high intellectual density. Status wasn't about photos or wealth; it was about your code and your logic.
1.3 Culture of Anonymity
Early internet culture was defined by the phrase: "On the internet, nobody knows you're a dog." Text-only communication masked wealth and class, creating unprecedented equality. The "ID" became a second identity, more sticky than real life because it was built on shared interests, not geography.
• Slang: This era birthed the first internet slang—"Shrimp" (Newbie), "Dinosaur" (Ugly female), "Frog" (Ugly male). These weren't just jokes; they were shibboleths—secret codes proving you belonged to the "netizen" tribe.
Chapter 2: The Golden Age & The Town Square Effect (1999-2008)
This decade was the "Golden Era" of the Chinese BBS. Home PCs and ADSL broadband brought millions online, diluting the elite atmosphere with "grassroots" energy. The landscape shifted to a "Twin Peaks" structure: Tianya in the South, Mop in the North.
2.1 Tianya: The Global Chinese Public Square
Founded in 1999, Tianya became the peak of PC-era influence. It was a comprehensive forum covering everything from international politics to ghost stories.
• Long-form Content: Tianya’s superpower was the "Long Post." It incubated massive cultural IPs (like The Lost Tomb and Those Things About the Ming Dynasty).
◦ Case Study: "Those Things About the Ming Dynasty" was written by a customs officer posting as "Dang Nian Ming Yue." It wasn't just a blog; it was a live event. Millions refreshed the page daily, interacting with the author, effectively co-creating the history.
• Public Opinion Watchdog: Tianya became the amplifier for social justice. High-profile cases, like the "Sun Zhigang" case (2003) or the "Zhou Jiugeng expensive cigarettes" scandal (2008), blew up here. Netizens used "distributed corruption busting"—analyzing pixels in news photos to identify luxury watches on low-level officials—forcing real-world legal changes.
2.2 Mop (Mop.com): The Birth of Meme Culture & Human Flesh Search
If Tianya was serious, Mop was chaotic, deconstructive, and fun. Originally for console gamers, it evolved into a hub for "anything interesting."
• The Lingo: Mop invented the DNA of Chinese internet slang, including "YY" (fantasizing), "233" (LOL), and "BT" (Perverted/Abnormal).
• Human Flesh Search (Renrou Sousuo): Mop is the birthplace of this controversial phenomenon—massive, decentralized vigilante investigation.
◦ The Kitten Abuse Incident (2006): A video of a woman crushing a kitten with high heels went viral. Mop and Tianya users identified the woman, her employer, and her location within 6 days using background landmarks. She was fired. It established the "moral legitimacy" of doxing but opened a Pandora's box of cyberviolence.
2.3 Baidu Tieba: Decentralized Keywords & The "Diaosi" Identity
Launched in 2003, Tieba (Post Bar) revolutionized the structure. Instead of a central forum, any keyword could instantly become a community.
• Li Yi Bar (Di Bar): Originally a place to mock a soccer player, it evolved into the "Louvre of Baidu," deconstructing all serious narratives.
• Diaosi Culture: Here, the term "Diaosi" (Self-deprecating loser/underdog) was born. It was an identity for young men feeling marginalized during China's rapid transition—using self-mockery to diffuse the pressure of reality.
• "Exploding the Bar": The structure allowed for massive raids. In 2007, the "Li Yi Bar" vs. "Li Yuchun Bar" conflict saw tens of thousands of users flood the opposing forum with spam, crashing it—a show of brute digital force.
2.4 The Legal Dilemma
As "Human Flesh Search" grew, privacy concerns mounted. From the "Bronze Mustache" affair (a World of Warcraft affair that led to a manhunt) to the first lawsuit in 2008, the law had to catch up. By 2009 and 2017, laws were amended to criminalize the sale and illegal provision of personal info, marking the transition from "Law of the Jungle" to a "Rule of Law" society.
Chapter 3: Mobile Migration & New Powers (2009-2013)
The arrival of 3G and smartphones signaled the twilight of the traditional BBS.
3.1 Renren & Kaixin001: The Flash in the Pan
Modeled after Facebook, Renren (formerly Xiaonei) dominated university life (2005-2010) with real-name profiles. It moved relationships online. However, it failed to transition to mobile and was crushed by the arrival of WeChat. It remains a "tombstone for youth," eventually sold off in 2018.
3.2 The Rise of Weibo: Spectatorship Changes China
Sina Weibo (2009) was the fatal blow to BBS. It replaced the "tree" structure (threads) with a "mesh" structure (following).
• Speed: 140 characters lowered the barrier to entry. "Citizen Journalists" could report faster than news crews.
• Attention Economy: While early Weibo was dominated by public intellectuals, it eventually shifted to celebrity traffic. Deep reading was replaced by endless scrolling; patience became a scarce resource.
3.3 WeChat: From "Pipe" to "Operating System"
Launched in 2011, WeChat changed everything.
• Public Accounts: Unlike RSS or blogs, these pushed content directly to your chat list. It empowered individuals to have their own "newspaper."
• Moments (The Circle): Unlike the open square of Weibo, WeChat Moments are semi-private. You only see comments from mutual friends. While this reduced cyberbullying, it created the "Echo Chamber Effect." Young people and their parents effectively live in parallel digital universes.
3.4 The "Tribalization" of Communities
As the mainstream fragmented, vertical communities rose to preserve specific cultures.
• Douban: The spiritual corner for books, movies, and music. Its "Group" feature replaced the BBS, becoming a high-stickiness, sometimes radical, echo chamber for youth subcultures (e.g., "Parents are Hazards" group).
• Bilibili: Started as a niche site for anime fans (ACG). Its defining feature, the "Danmu" (Bullet Curtain)—comments scrolling across the video—turned passive watching into a collective social ritual. It gave Gen Z a sense of belonging.
• Zhihu: China's Quora. Launched in 2011 with an invite-only system for professionals and tech elites. It maintained the "rational" spirit of the old BBS days but monetized knowledge as social currency.
• Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book): Founded in 2013 as PDF shopping guides for Hong Kong. It evolved into a community for lifestyle sharing. Its core value was "User Generated Content" (UGC) built on trust—real people reviewing real products.
Summary: The End of an Era
The period from 2009 to 2013 was the hinge of history. The glory of the BBS faded. Weibo accelerated the news cycle; WeChat rebuilt the social infrastructure; Bilibili, Zhihu, and Xiaohongshu planted the seeds for the future.
They all started "small and beautiful" with high barriers (invite codes, specific slang), maintaining purity. But as we move to the next chapter, they face the ultimate test: the challenge of expansion and the dilution of identity.
Appendix: Timeline of Key Events (1987-2013)
• 1987: First email from China to Germany: "Across the Great Wall..."
• 1994: 64K international line connects China to the Internet.
• 1995: "Waterwood Tsinghua" BBS launches (University Elite Era).
• 1997: Mop founded (Gaming community).
• 1998: First viral internet novel First Intimate Contact popularized "online romance."
• 1999: Tianya Forum founded.
• 2003: Baidu Tieba launches ("Keywords as Community").
• 2003: The "Sun Zhigang Case" on Tianya leads to the abolition of the Custody and Repatriation system.
• 2005: Renren (Xiaonei) launches (Real-name social networking).
• 2006: "Kitten Abuse Incident" on Mop/Tianya creates the model for Human Flesh Search.
• 2009: Sina Weibo launches; The "Golden Age" of BBS begins to decline.
• 2010: Bilibili (formerly Mikufans) officially named.
• 2011: WeChat launches.
• 2011: Zhihu launches (Invite-only).
• 2013: Xiaohongshu App launches.
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