About .cn domains

About .cn domains

.CN is a country-code top-level domain (ccTLD) in the DNS root zone. It is designated for China. The IANA root zone lists the registry manager as China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC). Registration policies (who may register, local presence, pricing) are set by the registry and its accredited registrars — not by IANA.

.cn is the country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for the People's Republic of China. Introduced on 28 November 1990, the domain is administered by China Internet Network Information Center, a public institution affiliated with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. The domain is the largest ccTLD in the world. The Chinese script internationalized country codes are ".中国" ("China" in Simplified Chinese) and ".中國" ("China" in Traditional Chinese). Entities connected to Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan typically use .hk, .mo, and .tw, respectively, despite the availability of corresponding second-level domains under .cn for those regions.

Who can register .cn domains?

Eligibility is defined by the registry operator and its registrars. Most gTLDs are open to anyone worldwide. Many ccTLDs are also open globally; some require local presence, citizenship, or trademark rights. Always confirm current policy with the registry or your registrar.

Registration restrictions

Character rules below follow common ICANN LDH conventions. Individual registries and registrars may impose extra eligibility, length, or residency rules.

Length

2 – 63 characters (label before .cn)

Can use

Letters (a–z), numbers (0–9), and hyphens (not first/last or consecutive in restricted cases)

Cannot use

Special characters (e.g. & # @) in standard LDH labels

IDNs

Varies by registry — check IDN support with the registry or your registrar

Features

Operational features (privacy, parking, protection) are registrar-level, not defined by the IANA root zone record.

Registry information

Sponsor / manager

China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC)

Registration services

http://www.cnnic.cn/

WHOIS server

whois.cnnic.cn

Root zone registration

1990-11-28

Record last updated

2025-07-17