Ao3 in Chinese, Mandarin and how to find the works.

How to Use AO3.org in China: Access, Chinese Translations, and Ao3 Alternatives.

Archive of Our Own (AO3) is one of the largest fanfiction archives in the world. It includes millions of works across thousands of fandoms. However, since early 2020, AO3 has been blocked in mainland China by national internet censorship (often called the Great Firewall).

Learn about:

• Why AO3 is blocked in China
• Important legal and safety notes about accessing blocked sites
• How people outside China or on uncensored networks typically access AO3 (including using VPNs)
• How to find AO3 works that are translated into Chinese
• How to use alternatives like FanFiction.net when AO3 is not accessible

Important disclaimer: Laws and enforcement around VPNs and other circumvention tools in China can be strict and can change over time. This article does not encourage or instruct anyone to break local law. Always check local regulations and stay on the safe side.

1. Why AO3 Is Blocked in Mainland China

AO3 was blocked in mainland China around late February / early March 2020. Before the block, AO3 had become very popular among Chinese fan communities, including for LGBTQ+ content and a wide range of non-mainstream fanworks.

After a controversy involving explicit real-person fanfiction (RPF) of a well-known Chinese actor and mass reports from some of his fans, AO3 was added to the list of blocked sites. Since then, connections from typical mainland Chinese networks to archiveofourown.org generally fail or time out.

As of recent checks, AO3 is still blocked in mainland China.

2. Legal and Safety Considerations

Because AO3 is blocked by national-level controls, any attempt to bypass that block may be legally sensitive in China.

Some key points:

• China regulates the use of VPNs and similar tools. Only approved services are officially allowed for many uses, especially for businesses.
• Using unapproved tools specifically to bypass state censorship may conflict with local law or policy and could carry legal, professional, or personal risk.
• Enforcement and practical risk can vary, but users should assume authorities take circumvention seriously.

This article can explain in general terms what VPNs and privacy tools are and how AO3 is accessed elsewhere, but it cannot provide step-by-step instructions or recommendations for bypassing government blocking inside China.

If you are physically in China or using infrastructure regulated by Chinese law, you should:

• Check local laws and company or university policies before using any VPN or circumvention tool.
• Err on the side of safety; if in doubt, do not attempt to bypass censorship.
• Consider accessing AO3 when you are outside mainland China or on connections clearly and legally allowed to browse the open internet.

3. How People Outside China Access AO3 (VPNs and Privacy Tools)

On uncensored networks, most people simply access AO3 directly by visiting https://archiveofourown.org/. Some also use VPNs or privacy tools for general online security or to avoid throttling.

In general terms:

• VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) encrypt your internet traffic and route it through a server in another region. Websites see the VPN server’s location instead of your direct IP.
• Secure proxies and privacy-focused browsers can route traffic through intermediary nodes, adding another layer between you and the destination site.

From a technical perspective, these tools can make blocked sites appear accessible by tunneling traffic through other countries. However, in China, use of such tools specifically to evade national censorship can be legally sensitive, so anyone in that situation should follow local law rather than technical advice.

For users on uncensored connections (for example, while traveling or living abroad):

• Go to https://archiveofourown.org/.
• Create an AO3 account if you want to subscribe to authors or leave comments. (Accounts are usually invite-based, but invitations are often shared within fandom communities.)
• Browse or search by fandom, relationship, tags, or language using AO3’s filters.

4. How to Find AO3 Works Translated into Chinese

AO3 hosts many works written in Chinese as well as translations of non-Chinese works. If you are on a network where AO3 loads normally, you can navigate directly to Chinese translations and Chinese-language content.

The direct link for Chinese translated works is: https://archiveofourown.org/tags/%E4%B8%AD%E6%96%87%E7%BF%BB%E8%AF%91%20%7C%20Translation%20in%20Chinese/works

Or visit https://archiveofourown.org/languages/zh/works for 1 million+ works in Mandarin language (Chinese).

4.1 Tag for “Translation in Chinese”

AO3 has a specific tag for works that are translations into Chinese:

中文翻译 | Translation in Chinese

Link (for uncensored networks):
https://archiveofourown.org/tags/中文翻译%20%7C%20Translation%20in%20Chinese/works

On that page, you will find:

• Works originally written in another language (often English).
• Fan translations into Chinese, usually with credit and a link back to the original work.

You can then use AO3’s filters on that tag page to:

• Sort by date, kudos, word count, or bookmarks.
• Limit by fandom, rating, relationships, or additional tags (e.g., fluff, angst, alternate universe).

4.2 Filter by Language

On any search results or fandom page on AO3, you can restrict results to Chinese-language works:

• Run a search or open a fandom page.
• Look at the sidebar filters and find “Language”.
• Select options such as 简体中文 (Simplified Chinese) or 繁體中文 (Traditional Chinese), depending on what you want to read.

This removes other languages from your results and focuses on Chinese works only.

4.3 Search Using Chinese Keywords

You can also search AO3 directly with Chinese terms, such as:

• Chinese titles of books, anime, games, or dramas (e.g., 魔道祖师, 陈情令).
• Chinese character names, CP names, or ship tags.
• Generic descriptive tags in Chinese, such as 甜文, 虐心, HE, BE, 校园, 穿越, and so on.

AO3 has a tag wrangling system with volunteers, including Chinese-speaking ones, who help normalize tags so that related works can be found together even if authors originally used slightly different wording.

5. Alternatives to AO3 When It Is Not Accessible

Because AO3 is blocked in mainland China, many fans use other platforms that are either accessible from China or more tightly integrated with Chinese internet regulations.

5.1 FanFiction.net

FanFiction.net (FFN) is one of the oldest global fanfiction websites. It has a large archive of works across many fandoms and languages.

Community reports have often indicated that FanFiction.net is accessible from mainland China without circumvention tools, although accessibility can change over time. If AO3 is unreachable but FFN still loads, it can be a useful alternative.

Compared with AO3:

• Advantages: very large and older archive, simple interface, lightweight pages.
• Disadvantages: fewer tagging options, more basic filtering, older site design, and less flexible metadata.

Many authors cross-post their work on AO3 and FanFiction.net. If you know an author’s username or a specific story title, it is often worth searching on both sites.

5.2 Other International Platforms

Other international platforms (for example, Wattpad and similar sites) host a lot of fanfiction and original fiction as well. Their accessibility from China has varied over time, depending on app store policies and content rules.

Because blocking lists change:

• Always check whether a site loads normally from your current network.
• Keep in mind that apps offered through Chinese app stores must comply with local content regulations, which can mean more restrictions on topics such as explicit material or politically sensitive subjects.

5.3 Chinese Domestic Fanfic and Fiction Platforms

There are also domestic Chinese platforms for fanfiction and original fiction. These sites are typically designed for Chinese readers first, with interfaces and communities entirely in Chinese.

Common characteristics include:

• Strong focus on Chinese-language fandoms and local trends.
• Stricter content moderation in line with local regulations.
• Possible removal or editing of stories that touch on restricted themes (for example, certain explicit content, some LGBTQ+ depictions, or politically sensitive topics).

These platforms can be good for active participation in Chinese fandom communities, but they usually do not offer the same level of long-term archiving and content freedom that AO3 is known for.

6. Practical Reading Strategies for Fans Connected to China

Because of the legal and technical situation, many fans who live in or have ties to China adopt a mixed strategy for reading and storing fanfiction:

• Reading AO3 when they are abroad or on an uncensored, legally permitted connection.
• Downloading favorite AO3 works (as EPUB, PDF, or HTML) when they have access, for offline reading later.
• Following authors across multiple platforms, such as AO3, FanFiction.net, and local or social platforms.
• Using domestic platforms for everyday participation in Chinese fandom while relying on AO3 for more niche, long-form, or less restricted works when it is safe and legal to access.

AO3 remains blocked in mainland China due to national internet censorship. Attempting to bypass that block may carry legal risk, so anyone in China should put safety and legal compliance first and seek up-to-date information on local regulations.

For users on uncensored networks:

• AO3 is accessible at https://archiveofourown.org/.
• Chinese translations can be found via the “中文翻译 | Translation in Chinese” and at https://archiveofourown.org/languages/zh/works by using the language filter for Chinese.
• FanFiction.net and other platforms can serve as alternatives, especially where AO3 is not reachable.

In practice, many fans combine AO3, FanFiction.net, and local Chinese platforms to balance access, content freedom, and safety depending on where they are and which networks they are using.