Journey to the West Corporation Lists Over 300 China-Themed Top-Level Domains
Company’s website lists more than 300 primary and replacement top-level domain strings related to China.
Journey to the West Corporation has published a list of proposed top-level domains (TLDs) and internationalized domain names (IDNs) that total 323 primary and replacement strings, all themed around China’s culture, economy and technology. The company’s public catalogue covers ASCII TLD candidates and Chinese-script IDNs, organized into clear thematic categories for easier navigation.
Overview of Categories and Representative Strings
The catalogue groups the proposed TLDs into many thematic areas. Representative examples from each category include:
- Flagship (23): .panda, .dragon, .jade
- Nature & Geography (18): .orchid, .plum, .chrysanthemum
- Craft & Art (9): .porcelain, .lacquer, .cloisonne
- Zodiac & Creatures (8): .zodiac, .tiger, .rabbit
- Cuisine (15): .mooncake, .hotpot, .noodle
- Performance & Culture (5): .guzheng, .erhu, .pipa
- Martial & Strategy (8): .taichi, .shaolin, .wudang
- Invention & Heritage (7): .abacus, .compass, .gunpowder
- Imperial & Myth (14): .forbidden, .imperial, .mandarin
- Festival & Fortune (15): .lunar, .springfestival, .newyear
- Philosophy & Learning (8): .wisdom, .scholar, .exam
- Journey & Legend (10): .journey, .xiyou, .pilgrim
- Trade & Logistics (27): .sourcing, .export, .import
- Manufacturing & Materials (15): .textile, .garment, .fabric
- Tech & Electronics (11): .pcb, .semiconductor, .chip
- Energy & Mobility (27): .battery, .lithium, .anode
- Digital Commerce (13): .livestream, .shortvideo, .miniapp
- Brand & Heritage (10): .guochao, .domestic, .nationalbrand
- Future Tech (11): .smartcity, .newinfra, .digitaltwin
Chinese-Script IDN Categories
The site also lists a number of Chinese-script (IDN) categories that target local-language usage and markets. Representative IDNs include:
- Digital & Retail (14): .美食, .旅游, .酒店
- Trade & Industry (4): .外贸, .出口, .工厂
- Tech & Energy (15): .芯片, .半导体, .新能源
- Wellness & Lifestyle (8): .养生, .美容, .健身
- Agriculture & Food (5): .农业, .生鲜, .茶叶
- Consumer Goods (9): .宠物, .母婴, .玩具
- Education & Career (4): .求职, .培训, .考研
- Media & Entertainment (5): .音乐, .电影, .动漫
- Culture & Civic (5): .公益, .国潮, .老字号
Overlap With Existing TLDs and Potential Contention
Notably, the list includes at least six strings that already exist as delegated top-level domains: .fan, .furniture, .silk, .soy, .storage, and the Chinese-script .公益. Those entries appear in the catalogue alongside many brand-new suggestions, creating possible conflicts or confusion if multiple parties pursue similar or identical TLDs.
The published catalogue also shows potential contention with other known applications for several strings. Based on public information and assuming both Journey to the West’s submissions and another applicant’s entries are for primary strings, around a dozen domains could be contested. Examples flagged include .factory, .dragon, .panda, and a set of commercial or logistics-related strings such as .cell, .drone, .logistics, .robot, .tea and .token.
Who Is Behind the Project?
The website identifies its backers only generally, stating it is “Backed by domain investors and China internet celebrities.” The site footer lists an address associated with China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the government body that houses the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC), which oversees domain-related matters in China. However, the domain for the site was registered at Spaceship today, and the site remains under development. If an official MIIT entity were involved, it would commonly register through a Chinese domain registrar, so the current registrar information raises questions about the nature of the registration and the project’s formal affiliations.
Current Status and Takeaways
At present the site is presented as a work in progress. It provides a large, organized list of proposed TLDs and IDNs that reflect a broad strategy to create China-themed namespace options across culture, commerce, technology and government-related areas. For registries, registrars, brands and other stakeholders tracking new gTLD activity, the catalogue is a notable disclosure because it combines ASCII TLD candidates with Chinese-script IDNs and because some entries overlap with already-delegated TLDs or with known competing applications.
Observers should treat the list as a proposal rather than a confirmed delegation. The landscape for new top-level domains involves application, evaluation and potential contention resolution; publication of a catalogue does not equate to approval or delegation. As the project and the site develop further, additional details about ownership, application filings and any contention sets may become clearer.