Police in Lanzhou, a city in north central China, have been targeting writers of online erotic fiction throughout the country, many of them college students or young women, for writing “danmei”, or stories between men—with one story featuring a non-binary emperor who has experiences with generals and chancellors—even though the stories are published on a Taiwanese website, with an estimated 200 – 300 summonses having been issued so far, while punishments have included a sentence of 4.5 years in jail for one author, fines of up to 50,000 – 60,000 yuan ($7,100 – $8,500) for others, and some have lost admission to university.
What do you think?
“In our view, cross-strait exchanges should not include immoral influences like freedom of imagination.”
“I don’t like the idea of all these stories about hot, young men having secretive affairs with others in the workplace being so easily available. I spend all day at the office just scrolling, scrolling, scrolling. It’s horrible!”
“Why write about forbidden love when there are so many wholesome topics, like steel production, or harmonious rural villages?”
Sun Meixiu, 31
NARC
Zhao Yucheng, 52
Party Analyst
Liang Zemin, 27
Folding Chair Mechanic
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