Jintian

Chinese literary magazine

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July 16, 2026

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Jintian (meaning "Today") was a significant, unofficial literary magazine in mainland China, co-founded in 1978 by the poet Bei Dao and other writers. It was the first non-official literary magazine in China since the 1950s. The magazine was censored and shut down by authorities in 1980 after publishing nine issues.1

In 1990, Jintian was revived in Sweden as a platform for Chinese writers living abroad, with Bei Dao serving as its chief editor. The magazine played a role in the broader landscape of modern Chinese literature, which saw a shift towards more professional and experimental writing after the Cultural Revolution. This period also saw a decline in literature's societal influence in the late 1980s, despite a large overall scale of literary activity.12

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Bei Dao
…created, with some fellow poets, Jintian (“Today”), the first nonofficial literary magazine in mainland China since the 1950s; it was censored by the authorities in 1980, after the first nine issues.
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…created, with some fellow poets, Jintian (“Today”), the first nonofficial literary magazine in mainland China since the 1950s; it was censored by the authorities in 1980, after the first nine issues.
Read More