Dear Jean,
I was all excited about using my WordPress blog once I arrived here in China. Imagine my disappointment when I realized that it was blocked here. Now, I am reduced to sending out weekly emails to my friends and family. I would much prefer to write on my blog which is much easier to use and more fun. What is your advice for bloggers in China?
Regards,
Mike in Western China
Jean Answers Mike’s Question
Dear Mike,
Thank you for your interesting question. Unfortunately, you are exactly right. WordPress blogs are blocked in China and there is no indication that this will change in the near future. Fortunately, just because Wordpress is blocked in China does not prevent you from using the WordPress blogging software. The Chinese government only seems to be blocking sites that have the word “WordPress” in the actual website domain. If you are already familiar with the Wordpress platform (which we think is the best out there) then you should consider buying your own domain name with hosting and installing the WordPress blogging software on the website. If you don’t have much experience with running a website then this option may seem a little daunting but I can assure you that it is easy once you get the hang of it. A domain name and hosting should cost less than $40 a year and you can download WordPress for free off the WordPress.org website. These days, WordPress is easier than ever to use and it will basically install itself. As long as you are not installing WordPress into a sub-domain that contains the word “WordPress” then your blog always be accessible in China.
If you are not interested in going in that direction then you may want to consider choosing another online blogging platform that is not blocked in China. We do not recommend that, however, because you never know when the government might just decide to block the entire domain name for that blogging platform. It is much better to have your own domain name.
Sincerely,
Jean
Ask Jean about China is a weekly feature on TeachAbroadChina.com. We welcome any questions related to living and working in China. Feel free to submit your questions by clicking here. We look forward to hearing from you.
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I cannot login to my self-hosted installation of WordPress in China. I have an infinite login loop. If I use a VPN or I try to login in another country, then I can login successfully.
My ISP is China Telecom (aka Chinanet)
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I did not use a VPN or purchase my own domain name. I just used the free .wordpress blog and was still able to post to my blog.
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I lived in Beijing in 2011 for six months and was able to access my wordpress account. Accessing the site was difficult and slow, and on certain days I could not access wordpress at all. Uploading pictures was very slow and took a long time, but wordpress worked the majority of the time I was there and I was able to blog about everything I did.
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Agreed. I am currently running my wordpress blog from Shanghai. However, I bought my own domain and have no problems accessing it from here. Good advice.
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