Book Description

The latest edition of "Decoding the Chinese Internet: A Glossary of Political Slang" introduces classic memes created by Chinese netizens to counter censorship. We have added 17 new terms in an improved, image-rich format. China Digital Times maintains a wiki of subversive Chinese Internet language, an essential element of China’s “resistance discourse” which counters state propaganda. This Grass-Mud Horse Lexicon is named after the unofficial mascot of Chinese netizenry, an alpaca whose name sounds nearly the same as a serious profanity. We have added hundreds of terms to the Lexicon, and in 2013 began to publish eBook glossaries of the most time-tested and ubiquitous terms. In this third edition of “Decoding the Chinese Internet,” we have added both new coinages and iconic turns of phrase. Organized by broad categories, “Decoding the Chinese Internet” guides readers through the raucous world of China’s online resistance discourse. Students of Mandarin will gain insight into word play and learn terms that are key to understanding Chinese Internet language. But no knowledge of Chinese is needed to appreciate the creative leaps netizens make in order to keep talking.