Tianya Community Revives, but the Era It Represented Is Gone

At midnight on June 1, 2026, the domain tianya.net quietly came back online, instantly trending on Chinese social media as #TianyaClassicPosts. Users flooded the comments with nostalgic remarks like “My youth is back” and “I chased the novel ‘Ghost Blowing Lamp’ for three years.” The author, however, notes that while Tianya is back, the spirit it represented cannot be revived.

1. The 2023 April Fool’s announcement wasn’t a joke

On April 1, 2023, Tianya announced a temporary suspension for technical upgrades, which many dismissed as an April Fool’s prank. A month later, the site confirmed severe financial troubles: bank loan cuts, staff departures, and an inability to pay server fees. The once‑valued ¥1 billion community ultimately shut down because it could not afford IDC charges.

This demise was not due to external competition but to internal financial starvation.

2. How influential was Tianya?

For younger generations the platform may seem obscure, but its impact is evident in several landmark works and early internet celebrities:

Classic works born on Tianya: “Ghost Blowing Lamp” (2006), “Chronicles of the Ming Dynasty” (2006), “Chengdu, Forget Me Tonight” (2002), “Go Away, Tumor Lord” (2011).

First‑generation internet celebrities: Fu Rong Sister (2004), Xiao Yueyue (2010, post view count > 100 million), the 2005 “Zhou Gongzi vs Yi Yingqing” debate.

Key statistics: Founded in 1999 (10 years before Weibo, 12 years before WeChat), over 130 million registered users, peak valuation ¥1 billion (2015), daily UV > 20 million.

These figures illustrate that Tianya was more than a forum; it served as a “cradle of Chinese internet culture.”

3. Why did Tianya die?

Many blame the rise of mobile internet, but the article argues that this is only a surface reason. The deeper cause is that the “slow internet” ethos—anonymous, long‑form, decentralized, and egalitarian content—no longer fits the current era.

Old internet traits: anonymity, lengthy posts, no algorithmic recommendation, equal footing between experts and laypeople.

Current internet traits: real‑name identities, short content (<500 words), algorithm‑driven feeds, traffic‑centric clickbait.

Thus, Tianya was not defeated by competition; it was abandoned by the times.

4. Can the reboot survive?

The author is skeptical, citing three facts:

Financial issues remain unsolved: Founder Xing Ming faces a ¥20.66 million execution; the revival team raised about ¥20 million through a 1999 CNY per‑person “founding member” badge sale (9,999 badges).

Content ecosystem is broken: Tianya’s core asset—its writers, deep‑analysis V‑users, and gossip insiders—have migrated to platforms like Zhihu, Weibo, and Xiaohongshu, or stopped creating content altogether.

User habits have shifted: In 2023, users are unlikely to spend half an hour reading a text‑only, multi‑thousand‑word post without images or video.

5. Yet I hope it lives

Despite rational doubts, the author wishes for a space that offers “slow” internet: no short videos, no algorithmic feeding, room for ten‑thousand‑word essays, and evaluation based solely on content quality.

Even if Tianya itself cannot survive, losing the spirit of depth, equality, anonymity, and long‑form content would be a true loss.

Opening tianya.net today is not about nostalgia; it is to remember that the internet once was like this.

What is the most unforgettable post you read on Tianya? Share in the comments.