Eunuch fiction—a subgenre that centers on unconventional romances between eunuchs and imperial consorts, palace women, or princesses—has gained notable popularity in Chinese digital media in recent years. This article situates the trend within broader debates about the revival and flattening of history online and asks why young women are drawn to castrated male protagonists. Methodologically, the study combines multi-sited digital ethnography with focus-group discussions and semi-structured interviews with readers and fans across online literature platforms and fan communities. Drawing on close readings of popular titles and comment threads, the analysis traces how audiences interpret, circulate, and contest the eunuch lover. Findings show that readers prize eunuch protagonists for enabling intimacy without phallocentric threat, centering trust, care, and negotiated consent. Participants describe a “safe masculinity” that disarms patriarchal dominance while retaining competence and loyalty. The imperial setting functions as an ahistorical sandbox that licenses transgressive pairings and female ambition, allowing critique of contemporary gender expectations—marriage markets, workplace sexism, surveillance—by proxy. At the same time, fans acknowledge ambivalences: classed court hierarchies persist, and agency often hinges on service to the heroine. By foregrounding reader talk and affective practices, the article demonstrates how eunuch fiction reconfigures masculinity in digital China, extending soft/queer paradigms beyond idol culture to castrated male figures. It argues that these popular romances index broader transformations in intimacy, risk, and autonomy under platformized culture.

Authors:
Geng Song, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

About the Presenter(s)
Geng Song is a Professor at the University of Hong Kong. His research focuses on contemporary China, gender and sexuality, and media studies. His current project explores cultural memory in the algorithmic era.

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