Thanks to Professor Rudolph Wagner of the University of Heidelberg for the following information:
Yannan.cn, a Beijing-based website that over the last year had emerged as the foremost forum for intellectual discussion and cutting-edge thinking in China, has closed down effective Oct. 1. A note says: “Effective today, Yannan.cn has closed for cleansing up and reshuffling of the entire website. A relaunch date is to be announced later. We apologize deeply for inconveniences” (original below).
Nothing is known as yet about the reasons for the closure, or if they are connected to a recently issued new set of tough regulations aimed at reigning in the free-wheeling Chinese Internet.
The Digital Archive of Chinese Studies (DACHS) has downloaded and archived an essential part of the website (12,000 files, 370 mb, all that was available on May 15, 2005). It is available here. Access is password controlled. Get a free password by writing an email to DACHS staff with a note about your research purpose and institutional affiliation. The email link is here.
CDT note: Last month Yannan.cn closed down heated discussions of villagers’ petition in Taishi and other topics. See also a CPJ news alert.
Here is the original notice from Yannan.cn:
燕南网整災蜌知
自寧日起，燕南网滧行全諢清理整顿，重新开放时屼另行蜌知。若庿缼不便，深表菫意。
祝庴屢国庆愉快！
燕南网
2005-9-30
