Literary Inquisition - China Banned Books Exhibit : Literary Inquisition - Banned Books Exhibit (2012)

Regulation on the Administration of Publication (2016 Revised)

Article 25 The following contents are prohibited from being included in any publication: 　　
第二十五条　任何出版物不得含有下列内容：

1.Which object the basic principles determined in the Constitution; 
反对宪法确定的基本原则的；
2.Which endanger the unity of the nation, sovereignty or territorial integrity; 
危害国家统一、主权和领土完整的；
3.Which divulge secrets of the State, endanger national security or damage the honor or benefits of the State; 
泄露国家秘密、危害国家安全或者损害国家荣誉和利益的；
4.Which incite the national hatred or discrimination, undermine the solidarity of the nations, or infringe upon national customs and habits. 
煽动民族仇恨、民族歧视，破坏民族团结，或者侵害民族风俗、习惯的；
5.Which propagate evil cults or superstition; 
宣扬邪教、迷信的；
6.Which disturb the public order or destroy the public stability;
扰乱社会秩序，破坏社会稳定的；
7.Which propagate obscenity, gambling, violence or instigate crimes; 
宣扬淫秽、赌博、暴力或者教唆犯罪的；
8.Which insult or slander others, or infringe upon the lawful rights and interests of others;
侮辱或者诽谤他人，侵害他人合法权益的；
9.Which endanger public ethics or the fine folk cultural traditions; 
危害社会公德或者民族优秀文化传统的；
10. Other contents prohibited by laws, administrative regulations or provisions of the State.
有法律、行政法规和国家规定禁止的其他内容的。

This page was created in conjunction with the "Banned Book Exhibit 2012," an IAS exhibit series held in Fall 2012.  Featured are types and examples of material under censorship in ancient and modern China. Included are a few Ming and Qing era novels which were censored at their first publication, and are now considered classics. Differing political thought, religious expression, ethnic group movements, and immoral contents have all been censored under Communist China.  Censorship has been practiced throughout all the dynasties from the first emperor Qin into today's modern China.  Literary inquisition or 文字狱 wen zi yu (imprisonment for literary works) has been a common practice throughout Chinese history.

《剪灯新话》《醋葫芦》《品花宝鉴》《隔帘花影》《国色天香》《飞花艳想》《空空幻》《玉楼春》《红楼春梦》 《九尾龟》

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