This Saturday (June 4) marks the 27th anniversary of the massacre that ended pro-democracy protests in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. Since June 4, 1989, the Chinese Communist Party has tried its best to stop people from mentioning the incident and convince them that the whole thing never happened.
This was relatively easy when the party held tight control over everything people read and wrote. The internet has made the task much more difficult. The result has been an unending game of cat-and-mouse between internet users, who invent clever new ways of referring to the massacre, and government censors who identify and remove these terms as quickly as possible.
China Digital Times (CDT), a news site affiliated with the University of California, Berkeley, has assembled a list of 261 distinct terms that have been used on the Chinese internet to refer to the Tiananmen massacre, and have at some point been blocked by censors. The list includes straightforward terms like ”Tiananmen” and “June 4,” as well as more absurd examples of linguistic acrobatics that can circumvent censors, like “May 35” (meaning four days after May 31, or June 4).
Most of the terms are in Chinese, but sometimes to evade censors internet users write in English or Romanized Mandarin. Some terms—like “25th anniversary” and “24 years”—were only blocked temporarily, during a period of particularly heavy use, and may be allowed online today.
| Chinese | English |
|---|---|
| 反官倒 | oppose official profiteering |
| youxing | demonstration |
| 上街 | take to the streets |
| 动 | move |
| 宣言 | declaration |
| 运 | movement |
| 绝食书 | Hunger Strike Declaration |
| 学潮 | student strike |
| 示威 | demonstrate |
| 罢课潮 | wave of student strikes |
| 暴动 | insurrection |
| 民运 | democracy movement |
| 游行 | march |
| 26years | 26years |
| 26周年 | 26th anniversary |
| 26年 | 26 years |
| 二十六周年 | twenty-sixth anniversary |
| 二十六年 | twenty-six years |
| 廿五周年 | twenty-fifth anniversary |
| 25years | 25years |
| 25年 | 25 years |
| 二十五年 | twenty-five years |
| 25周年 | 25th anniversary |
| 25周年纪念 | 25th anniversary commemoration |
| anniversary | anniversary |
| 24年 | 24 years |
| 二十四 | twenty-four |
| 二十四周年 | twenty-fourth anniversary |
| 24周年 | 24th anniversary |
| 二十三 | twenty-three |
| 周年 | anniversary |
| 廿三 | twenty-three |
| 22周年 | 22nd anniversary |
| 十二个春秋 | twenty springs and autumns |
| 历史的伤口 | History’s Wound |
| 天安门情人 | Tiananmen Lovers |
| 缅怀 | honor the memory of |
| 致敬 | pay respects |
| 祭奠 | memorial ceremony |
| 晚会 | evening event |
| 勿忘 | never forget |
| 悼念 | mourn |
| 毋忘 | never forget |
| 祭 | ceremony |
| 纪念 | commemorate |
| 追思 | recall |
| 默哀 | silent tribute |
| 平反 | redress |
| 426＋四二六社论 | 426 + four two six editorial |
| 四二六社论 | four two six editorial |
| June 4 | June 4 |
| 屠杀＋四 | massacre + four |
| 535 | May 35 (May 31 plus four days, or June 4) |
| 6+si | 6+si (si meaning “four”) |
| 631日 | 631 day |
| 6four | 6four |
| 8jiu | 8jiu (jiu meaning “nine” for ’89) |
| liu4 | liu4 (liu meaning “six” for 64) |
| six4 | six4 |
| 陆＋肆 | six + four |
| 6+4 | 6+4 |
| 8的平方 | 8-squared (which is 64) |
| 春夏之交 | when spring becomes summer |
| 这一天 | this day |
| 五月三十五 | May Thirty-five (May 31 plus four days, or June 4) |
| 四＋开枪 | four+open fire |
| 64+屠杀 | 64+massacre |
| 64+开枪 | 64+open fire |
| 89 | 89 |
| 64+24 | 64+24 (24 denotes the anniversary) |
| viiv | viiv (Roman numerals 6 and 4) |
| 八的平方 | square of eight |
| 己巳月+乙未日 | Jisi month+Yiwei day (1989 and 2015 as expressed in the Chinese sexagenary cycle) |
| hk64 | hk64 (Hong Kong 64) |
| 特殊的日子 | special day |
| 那天 | that day |
| 35 | 35 (May 31 plus four days, or June 4) |
| 63+1 | 63+1 |
| 65-1 | 65-1 |
| 6四 | 6 four |
| Jun+4th | Jun+4th |
| june | june |
| six+four | six+four |
| six四 | six four |
| 八八 | eight eight |
| 六+四 | six+four |
| 六4 | six 4 |
| 陆四 | six four |
| 明天 | tomorrow |
| 昨天 | yesterday |
| 那年 | that year |
| 今天 | today |
| 4 | 4 |
| 6 | 6 |
| 8 | 8 |
| 9 | 9 |
| 23 | 23 (during the year of the 23rd anniversary) |
| eight | eight |
| four | four |
| nine | nine |
| six | six |
| 三十五 | thirty-five (May 31 plus four days, or June 4) |
| 九 | nine |
| 八 | eight |
| 六 | six |
| 四 | four |
| 捌 | eight |
| 玖 | nine |
| 肆 | four |
| 陆 | six |
| 五四+一个月 | May Fourth + one month |
| 玖捌 | nine eight |
| bajiu | bajiu |
| liusi | liusi (liu meaning “six”, si meaning “four”) |
| liu四 | liu four (liu meaning “six”) |
| 八玖 | eight nine (the second character is pronounced the same as “nine” but is a different character) |
| 刘四 | Liu four (the first character is pronounced the same as “six,” but is a different character) |
| 捌九 | eight nine (using a classical form of the character for “eight”) |
| 一九八四 | nineteen eighty-nine |
| 1989 | 1989 |
| 8964 | 8964 |
| 5月35日 | May 35th (May 31 plus four days, or June 4) |
| 8×8 | 8×8 |
| 八九 | eight nine |
| 六四 | six four |
| 六肆 | six four |
| 陆肆 | six four |
| 64事件 | 64 incident |
| 64学潮 | 64 student strike |
| 64学运 | 64 student movement |
| 64运动 | 64 movement |
| 六四事件 | Six-Four Incident |
| 六四学潮 | Six-Four student strike |
| 六四运动 | June Fourth Movement |
| 六四学运 | Six-Four student movement |
| 89+动乱 | 89+unrest |
| 89事件 | 89 incident |
| 89学潮 | 89 student strike |
| 89学运 | 89 student movement |
| 89民运 | 89 people’s movement |
| 89运动 | 89 movement |
| 八九学潮 | Eighty-Nine campus strike |
| 八九学运 | Eighty-Nine student movement |
| 八九民运 | Eighty-Nine democracy movement |
| 八九运动 | Eighty-Nine movement |
| 天下围城 | empire beseiges the city |
| 碾 | crush |
| 屠杀 | massacre |
| 镇压 | supress |
| 戒严 | impose martial law |
| 学生＋1989 | student + 1989 |
| 改革派 | reformist |
| 三角政治联盟 | triangle political alliance |
| 北高联 | Capital Autonomous Federation of University Students |
| 高自联 | Capital Autonomous Federation of University Students |
| 黄雀行动 | Operation Yellowbird |
| 学联 | student federation |
| 天安门母亲 | Tiananmen Mothers |
| 学运 | student movement |
| 天安门母亲运动 | Tiananmen Mothers movement |
| Jonathan Mirsky＋网站 | Jonathan Mirsky+website |
| 全民倒共 | all the people topple communism |
| 马云＋64 | Jack Ma+64 |
| 马云＋89 | Jack Ma+89 |
| 马云＋八九 | Jack Ma+Eight Nine |
| 马云＋六四 | Jack Ma+Six Four |
| 不适宜对外公开 | inappropriate for the public |
| 敏感词 | sensitive word |
| 烛光 | candlelight |
| 网络封锁 | Internet block |
| 蜡烛 | candle |
| 主义 | -ism |
| 小秘书 | Little Secretary |
| 推特 | |
| 政 | government |
| 民 | people |
| 火 | fire |
| 烛 | candle |
| 自治 | autonomous |
| 血 | blood |
| 黑衣 | black clothes |
| 学生领袖 | student leader |
| 祖国母亲 | mothers of the motherland |
| 广场上的热血 | hot blood on the square |
| 广场上的血 | blood on the square |
| tank man | tank man |
| tank | tank |
| 坦 | tǎn (tank) |
| 民主女神 | Goddess of Democracy |
| 坦克 | tank |
| Wu er kai xi | Wu’erkaixi |
| 习近平＋坦克 | Xi Jinping + tank |
| 习近平＋言而无信 | Xi Jinping + go back on one’s word |
| 邓小平＋坦克 | Deng Xiaoping + tank |
| 周锋锁 | Zhou Fengsuo (student leader |
| 周封锁 | Zhou Fengsuo |
| 邓屠夫 | Butcher Deng (referring to Deng Xiaoping) |
| 习+影帝 | Xi+movie star |
| 蟹农场 | Hexie Farm (Hexie meaning “harmonize,” euphemism for censorship) |
| 张先玲 | Zhang Xianling (poet sympathetic to student movement) |
| 艾晓明 | Ai Xiaoming (activist) |
| 司徒华 | Szeto Wah (pro-democracy Hong Kong politician) |
| 鲍朴 | Bao Pu (activist) |
| 耀邦 | (Hu) Yaobang (party leader who died shortly before Tiananment massacre) |
| 胡总书记 | Secretary-General Hu (Yaobang) |
| 胡赵 | Hu Zhao |
| 严家其 | Yan Jiaqi (political dissident) |
| 北岛 | Bei Dao (poet whose work was taken up by protesters) |
| 国家安全沙皇 | national security czar |
| 翟伟民 | Zhai Weimin (student leader) |
| 袁木 | Yuan Mu (state council spokeswoman who met with students) |
| 邓力群 | Deng Liqun (leading Communist Party theorist) |
| 陈子明 | Chen Ziming (political dissident) |
| 韩东方 | Han Dongfang (workers’ rights activist) |
| 励之 | (Fang) Lizhi (physicist and pro-democracy activist) |
| 方lizhi | Fang lizhi (physicist and pro-democracy activist) |
| 方校长 | [University] President Fang (referring to Fang Lizhi) |
| li长春 | li Changchun (party leader during the protests) |
| 封从德 | Feng Congde (student leader) |
| 月月鸟 | Moon Moon Bird [Li] (referring to Li Peng, premier during 1989) |
| lichangchun | lichangchun (party leader during the protests) |
| 乌尔 | Wu’er (Wu’erkaixi, political dissident) |
| 方励之 | Fang Lizhi (physicist and pro-democracy activist) |
| 丁子霖 | Ding Zilin (leader of pro-democracy group Tiananmen Mothers) |
| 坦克人 | Tank Man (referring to the famous photo) |
| 江泽民 | Jiang Zemin (party secretary following the massacre) |
| 胡耀邦 | Hu Yaobang (party leader who died shortly before Tiananment massacre) |
| 吾尔开希 | Wu’erkaixi (political dissident) |
| 李鹏 | Li Peng (premier during 1989) |
| 柴玲 | Chai Ling (student leader) |
| 王丹 | Wang Dan (student leader) |
| 紫阳 | (Zhao) Ziyang (premier until 1987) |
| 赵总理 | Prime Minister Zhao |
| 赵紫阳 | Zhao Ziyang |
| 魏京生 | Wei Jingsheng (human rights activist) |
| 占占点 | [pictographic: tanks rolling over person] |
| 占点占 | [pictographic: tanks rolling over person] |
| 占占人 | [pictographic: tanks rolling over person] |
| 北京＋暴力恐怖 | Beijing + violence and terror |
| 天安门＋举牌 | Tiananmen + hold up a sign |
| 天an门 | Tiananmen |
| TAM | TAM (Chinese acronym for Tiananmen) |
| tiananmen | tiananmen |
| 广场 | public square |
| 金水桥 | Jinshuiqiao (bridge near Tiananmen Square) |
| 长安街 | Changan Avenue (street where the infamous “tank” photo took place) |
| 维园+晚会 | Victoria Park+evening event |
| 公主坟 | Gongzhufen (area of Beijing) |
| 公园 | (Victoria) park |
| 北京屠城 | massacre of Beijing |
| 木樨地 | Muxidi (neighborhood of Beijing) |
| 维园 | Victoria Park |
| 京城+戒严 | capital + impose martial law |
| 北京+戒严 | Beijing + impose martial law |
| square | square |
| 天安门 | Tiananmen |
| 上证 | Shanghai Composite (after the stock market dropped 64.89 points) |
| 下跌 | fall [of price] |
| 指数 | index |
| 收盘 | closing quotation [in stock market] |
| 股市 | stock market |