More than 50 writers in China’s Anhui province have been detained since June as authorities intensify efforts to suppress online distribution of erotic content.
A “special task force” has targeted authors publishing on platforms like the Taiwan-based Haitang Literature website. The website is known for its adult fiction, including the popular “danmei” genre, which centres on romantic and sexual relationships between men.
According to reports from Radio Free Asia and accounts shared by Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan-based newspapers, as well as posts from online writing communities, several authors have been sentenced to prison. The sentences vary depending on whether the writers could repay earnings made from their work.
Notably, a leading author using the pen name Yuan Shang Bai Yun Jian received a sentence of four and a half years, while another writer, Ci Xi, was sentenced to five and a half years. A third, Yi Xie, was given a year and five months. Writers who failed to return the money they earned faced harsher penalties.
Chinese law, established in 1997, criminalises the production and distribution of pornographic materials, defining obscenity as “publications, films, video and audio recordings, and images containing depictions of sexual acts.” Writers earning more than 250,000 yuan from selling such content can face life imprisonment. The law has also been used to prosecute individuals consuming pornography privately and to close fanfiction and erotica websites, with platform operators receiving sentences of up to 12 years.
Although this law has been enforced sporadic, the recent crackdown has targeted both creators and readers. Chinese authorities have not disclosed many specific charges against detained writers, and local media, which is under state control, has refrained from reporting on the cases.
Some families and supporters have turned to social media, seeking financial help to pay fines in hopes of reducing prison terms. For example, the husband of a writer known as Yunjian, who was sentenced to four and a half years, shared her message with fans: “She said, ‘I will work hard in prison and try to get out earlier. By then, I’ll thank my readers in person.’”
The intensified scrutiny underscores the broader challenges faced by creative communities in China, particularly those exploring LGBTQ+ themes and expressions.
