One in four Chinese Internet users has a blog, with the activity especially popular among students and young office staff, said a report on blog development in China released at the end of 2007.

China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) surveyed 1,862 Internet users in November 2007. Extrapolating from this group, CNNIC calculated that 47 million Chinese have blogged, more than one fourth of the 180 million people who have surfed the net in China.

Although small compared with the 1.3 billion population of China, the active blogger population is doubling every year. China's first blog appeared in 2002; registered blog spaces exceeded 33 million in 2006.

The blogosphere is as varied as real life itself. Whether a Pandora's box or a treasure chest has yet to be seen, and is up to the users to decide.

Common people write their blogs to share their thoughts or experience with friends or even more blog-visitors. Some have become famous overnight.

Some people find blogs the best channel to air their thoughts and opinions on social issues. For instance, those who are keen to protect Beijing's historical heritage have started personal blogs, online photo galleries, forums and even websites, to discuss Beijing's "hutong culture." Zhang Wei, 30, who began earning his living in Beijing as a newspaper vendor at 17, started his non-profit website - oldbeijing.org - in 2000, to collect information on Beijing's traditional culture and lifestyles.

Those who find it difficult to air their grievances in the traditional news media began to post their thoughts and opinions in blogs and receive instant feedback from readers. It is unsurprising that many blog postings have grown into national media events overnight. A famous example is Ai Dongmei, a former marathon champion who has just reached an out-of-court settlement with her coach, who she accused of withholding her salary and winnings. In April 2007, with no money and no job, Ai announced on her blog that she would be selling her medals to make ends meet. This caused a national stir after the traditional media reported her online offer.

Celeberities get more publicity on their weblogs. Never before has the public gotten so close to the private lives of celebrities, and the number of hits on their blogs has become an index for their popularity.

Xu Jinglei, a gifted actress and director, is one of the most popular bloggers on Sina.com, with her frankness about the entertainment circles.

As bloggers skyrocketed in China and some blogs were accused of spreading unhealthy and defamatory information, the Internet Society of China (ISC) drew up "self-discipline code for blog services." Blog service providers are required to ensure security and the confidentiality of information that bloggers prefer to keep secret, according to the code.

Yet, the real-name registration requirement is not compulsory. “Conditions are not yet mature for implementing real-name registration as we lack reliable technology for privacy protection and identity verification," according to Huang Chengqing, secretary general of the society under the Ministry of Information Industry.

Editor: Dong Jirong