{"id":6265,"date":"2026-03-03T00:19:24","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T00:19:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jsis.washington.edu\/earc\/?p=6265"},"modified":"2026-04-29T23:11:04","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T23:11:04","slug":"the-wall-dancers-searching-for-freedom-and-connection-on-the-chinese-internet-ncta-online-book-study","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jsis.washington.edu\/earc\/the-wall-dancers-searching-for-freedom-and-connection-on-the-chinese-internet-ncta-online-book-study\/","title":{"rendered":"The Wall Dancers: Searching for Freedom and Connection on the Chinese Internet – NCTA Online Book Study"},"content":{"rendered":"

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China is home to one of the world\u2019s most iconic architectural feats, the ancient Great Wall, built to guard its borders. Today, it is also known for the \u201cGreat Firewall<\/strong>,\u201d the vast digital system that regulates and restricts online activity within the country. This modern wall<\/strong> limits access to many social media platforms and international websites, and posts are monitored and often deleted if deemed politically sensitive. How do Chinese citizens use and navigate the web within these constraints? Are there cracks in this wall?<\/p>\n

Educators NCTA seminar leader Tese Wintz Neighbor<\/strong><\/a> to explore new subcultures and tech innovations that have sprouted up behind the Great Firewall. We discussed Yi-Ling Liu\u2019s 2026 book, The Wall Dancers: Searching for Freedom and Connection on the Chinese Internet<\/em><\/a>.<\/strong> As the author weaves together the stories of artists, activists, and entrepreneurs, the reader experiences their \u201cdance\u201d between freedom and control in 21st century China.<\/p>\n

Yi-Ling\u2019s book traces the arc of Chinese online life through five protagonists \u2014 a rapper, a gay rights entrepreneur, a feminist activist, a science fiction writer, and an internet censor \u2014 each navigating the creative and constrictive forces of the Chinese internet in their own way. The result is a deeply reported, novelistic account of what it feels like to live, create, and push back in one of the most surveilled and dynamic digital environments on earth.<\/em> (Kaiser Kuo, Sinica Podcast<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Participants received a free copy of the book<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Dates and Times<\/h3>\n

Participants were assigned to one of the following sessions, with the possibility of switching if needed:<\/p>\n

Group 1: Tuesday, April 21, 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM (Pacific Time)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Group 2: Wednesday, April 22, 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM (Pacific Time)<\/strong><\/p>\n

This book club was held over Zoom. Participants commited to reading this book, completing a short assignment, and participating in the two-hour book club with video camera on.<\/p>\n

Program benefits<\/strong><\/h3>\n