Fame, Fantasy, Fanfare and Fun

Abstract

Phenomenal growth in recent years has made the Chinese blogosphere the largest blogging space in the world. By embedding the blogs against the backdrop of the broad context of the Internet communication environment in China, this chapter offers a panoramic overview of the fast-evolving Chinese blogosphere and critically assesses its social, cultural, and political ramifications. The chapter starts with an examination of landmark developments and milestone events in the historical trajectory of blogging in China in the past decade, followed by an in-depth analysis of major trends, popular practices, and dominant blogger groups. Finally, the chapter evaluates emerging platforms and themes unfolding on the horizon, and discusses their future implications.