Net Nostalgia: Remembering the Glory Days of China’s Internet Cafes

Roman Kierst (小罗)

Some millennials still visit China’s internet cafes for a nostalgia hit, but that won’t be enough to sustain the “wangba” industry

The pungent smell of cheap cigarettes, instant noodles , and a hint of sweaty socks hangs in the air as Tao turns on a PC in a Beijing internet cafe one Tuesday afternoon in April. “I come here for the atmosphere,” he tells TWOC over the clacking of keyboards, the whir of powerful gaming computers, and the noise of other gamers swearing into their headsets as they fight opponents online.

“Though it’s not really what it used to be,” Tao, who didn’t give his full name, explains with a lit cigarette in his mouth. “It was a lot more rambunctious back in the day.”

Tao, a millennial “ post-‘90s ” construction worker originally from Hebei province, likes to spend his free time here to get away from the crowded dormitory where he lives with other workers. The room is full of rows of long tables hosting dozens of computer stations where (mostly male) patrons can play modern, graphically demanding games. Tao sits down at one of the flash gaming PCs, but then starts up a low-fi 2D game he usually plays for free on his phone.

For many Chinese born in the 1980s and ‘90s like Tao, internet cafes, or wangba (网吧) in Chinese, with their distinctive atmosphere and memorable sensual experience, were an important part of their youth. This was where they would come to read blogs at a time when the medium was booming, as bloggers like Han Han wrote for recently online audiences with a blend of sarcasm, social commentary, and humor. They could also play games with friends, message each other on QQ , get away from their parents or university dormitories, and while away hours of downtime.

But as smartphones and mobile internet became more accessible in the 2010s, wangba began to lose their appeal after peaking at around 150,000 licensed venues across the country. Some have managed to survive as versatile social spaces adaptable to different needs: playing video games , spending a night for little money, making quick changes to a presentation before a job interview, watching movies with friends, and, most importantly for Tao and many others of his generation, serving as a spot for millennials to get a nostalgia hit from their childhood.

China first connected to the worldwide web in 1994 and wangba began appearing in Chinese cities shortly after. Going online was expensive in the early days: as much as 30 yuan for one hour. That meant 24 hours surfing the net in a wangba would have cost more than the average monthly income at the time.

By the early 2000s, wangba could be found in most Chinese cities, and prices for users had dropped considerably. “The hourly fee was 8 mao then,” remembers Liu Ming from Nanchang, Jiangxi province, who was born in 1987 and started going to wangba during his high school years. “If you wanted to spend the night, it was a flat fee of 5 yuan.” The industry boomed in the 2000s, with over 100,000 registered wangba by 2002 according to an industry report by iResearch.

That changed dramatically in June 2002, after an arson attack at Lanjisu wangba in Beijing left 25 people dead. The unlicensed wangba in Beijing’s university district was crowded mainly with students when a group of teenagers started a fire there at 2:40 a.m., allegedly as revenge against the owner who had previously denied them entry because of their age. The wangba had no fire exits, barred windows, and a single door which was bolted shut, contributing to the death toll.

Authorities responded by tightening control over internet cafes. Police began to enforce rules prohibiting under 18s from visiting through spot checks on venues. New licenses for wangba were suspended, first in Beijing and then across the country in a freeze that lasted until around 2013.

“This is why so-called ‘dark wangba ’ started popping up,” says 28-year-old Wang Dong, referring to unlicensed and unregulated internet cafes. “These would often be opened in hidden spots,” Wang, who makes videos about gaming and internet culture on video-streaming platform Bilibili for 1.7 million subscribers, tells TWOC. “I also used to visit them when I was underage.”

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