Legacy Chinese Internet Platform 'Tianya Community' Reopens After Over 3 Years

Central News Agency, Taipei, June 1. After being closed for over three years, the veteran Chinese internet platform 'Tianya Community' officially reopened on the 1st using the domain tianya.net, though many users reported being unable to access the site. Tianya stated that due to high traffic, the site is experiencing lag and asked users to try again. Tianya announced on May 31 that it had suspended access since April 1, 2023, due to unpaid IDC fees. To ensure the survival of data for over 100 million users and restore access, the company has been working on self-rescue measures for three years. Tianya stated that it has reached a legally binding arbitration award on data migration with China Telecom through the Hainan International Arbitration Court. Starting June 1, it will reopen at tianya.net, initially allowing users to browse selected classic posts. With the completion of data migration approvals and system optimization, and ensuring data security compliance, Tianya aims to gradually restore interactive functions during June. According to Chinese media, many users failed to access the site upon its reopening. Customer service replied that the site is lagging due to high traffic. Founded in 1999, Tianya was once China's largest internet platform, with over 130 million registered users and over 250 million monthly active users. It suspended operations in late April 2023 due to funding issues. Chinese media Jiemian News reported in February that Tianya sold 999 'Founding Member' packages at 1,999 RMB each to raise nearly 20 million RMB for data restoration and the 'New Tianya' project, promising a June 1 reopening.