It’s been five long years of silence, but the old-school legend “Xici Hutong” has finally announced its grand return.
On the evening of June 29, the official “Xici Hutong Net” WeChat account dropped a heartfelt letter titled “A Letter to Old Xici Friends,” confirming that the forum will be back online on July 1, 2026. The new official address? Simply www.xici.com.
In that letter, the team opened up about why they vanished for so long. The core issue wasn’t lack of passion; it was a messy handover dispute from way back. Here’s the scoop: In December 2020, the original Xici company handed over their source code and full database to a software firm for a major upgrade. But things went south fast. Due to critical security loopholes and bugs found during development, the site was forced offline in April 2021, leaving Xici stuck in limbo ever since.
Fast forward to May 2022: Fuzhou Feiyang stepped in via public judicial auction, taking full ownership of the Xici brand and operations. Great news, right? Not quite. The original dev company refused to hand over the source code and raw database as promised by the contract. The handover ground to a complete halt. That legal tug-of-war is exactly why Xici couldn’t come back sooner—it’s still winding through the court system.
The Xici operations team made it clear in their letter: They’re fighting this head-on through legal channels to protect the brand and your rights. Plus, here’s the exciting part—they are done with the buggy, crash-prone old version forever. This time, the entire new platform is built from scratch, fully autonomously developed by Xici’s own tech team. No shortcuts, just pure innovation.
And guess what? The new Xici isn’t just a pretty face. It’s already got a smart brain. They’ve integrated their proprietary large language model (AI) to handle everything from member verification and post screening to image compliance checks across the board. It’s a total overhaul of how the community stays safe and clean.
Looking ahead, the roadmap is packed. Between late 2026 and mid-2027, expect a wave of self-developed powerhouse products and new service sections to hit the platform. Let’s break down what’s coming:
First up: A dedicated e-commerce ecosystem. They’re building a custom online shopping platform that connects digital traffic with real-world brick-and-mortar stores, giving local businesses a fresh channel to showcase and grow.Second: Local life services. Think hyper-local convenience—building an ecosystem that fits right into your daily routine, creating a neighborhood-friendly interaction hub.Third: Tech empowerment. They’re opening up their custom programming language and AI model capabilities to developers and users alike.
For those who missed the history lesson: Xici Hutong launched back in 1998. It was one of China’s very first community websites, boasting over 38 million registered users. That’s a massive legacy to carry.
Before Xici even thought about coming back, another giant, “Tianya Community,” had already restarted last month. On June 1st, after three years of silence, Tianya relaunched. The nostalgia floodgates opened instantly—so many users rushed in that the servers struggled to keep up, causing lag and even temporary outages at times.
Now that the initial hype has settled, founder Xing Ming told the press that this is exactly where he wants to be: low-key, step-by-step, getting real work done. He’s focused on steady growth rather than flashy rushes. Plans are already underway for a brand-new Tianya Community app to follow suit.
Just like Xici, Tianya is also going all-in on AI. To pull off such a massive reconstruction, they’ve been actively hiring top talent in tech dev, product design, system ops, and artificial intelligence.
Tianya was founded in March 1999 and once stood as the world’s largest and most influential Chinese comprehensive BBS and network platform. Known for high-quality user-generated content, a vibrant culture, and countless serialized masterpieces, it earned the nickname “The Online Home for All Chinese People.”
Sadly, access to Tianya was cut off starting April 1, 2023, due to unpaid IDC fees. However, before the relaunch, the Tianya Company and China Telecom reached a legally binding data migration arbitration ruling through the Hainan International Arbitration Court, clearing the path for this comeback.
While the returns of both Tianya and Xici have sparked huge excitement, the real test lies ahead. Can these classic giants adapt to the brutal, fast-paced social media era of today? Can they not only catch the wave of returning fans but also thrive in a completely new competitive landscape? Only time will tell.
