Overview
- .慈善 is an internationalized generic top-level domain (IDN gTLD). The string translates to "charity" and is pronounced “ci shan” in Mandarin Chinese.
- The TLD was applied for under ICANN's New gTLD Program and is targeted at Chinese-language charitable activities and organizations.
History
Delegation and Operation
- Delegated to the DNS Root Zone on 31 March 2015.
- Registry operator / manager: Zodiac (Excellent First Limited). Registry provider listed as KNET.
- TLD type: IDN gTLD. Language: Chinese (Simplified). The application record indicates a priority value of 65 and that Public Interest Commitments (PICs) were made.
Applicant and Background
- Zodiac Holdings Limited was founded in 2008 by James Seng (incorporated in the Cayman Islands), headquartered in Hong Kong with an operations center in Beijing.
- Team members named in the application include James Seng (noted IDN pioneer) and Eugene Li (former CNNIC executive).
- The applicant reported backing by angels, venture capital and family offices with approximately USD 20 million in funds allocated for application and operation of new gTLDs.
Usage and Audience
- Intended audience: charities, non-profit initiatives and related organizations operating in Chinese-language contexts.
- The application narrative highlights growing charitable activity in China (examples mentioned include international and domestic charities such as Red Cross and the ONE Foundation) and the use of Internet platforms (e.g., Weibo, Baidu) to promote charity.
Registration Rules
- The applicant submitted Public Interest Commitments (PICs). As part of those commitments, the registry stated it would publish its Registration Policy prior to launch and subject it to a public comment period.
- No specific eligibility, character set rules, or registration period details are provided in the summarized source material.
Notable Cases or Examples
- GAC Early Warning: The application received an Early Warning from Australia (GAC Chair Heather Dryden), noting concerns that the string refers to a regulated market and the application initially lacked measures to protect consumers.
- Independent Objector (IO) objection: ICANN's Independent Objector filed a Community Objection against the .慈善 application (and also objected to related applications for .charity). The IO's objection process focuses on potential harm to segments of a named community and whether the applied-for string would materially harm that community.
- In response to concerns, the applicant submitted PICs and committed to publish a Registration Policy for public comment prior to launch.
Operator
Excellent First Limited
Whois
% IANA WHOIS server
% for more information on IANA, visit http://www.iana.org
% This query returned 1 object
domain: 慈善
domain-ace: XN--30RR7Y
organisation: Excellent First Limited
address: Offshore Incorporations (Cayman) Limited
address: Scotia Centre, 4th Floor, PO Box 2804
address: George Town Grand Cayman KY1-1112
address: Cayman Islands (the)
contact: administrative
name: CEO
organisation: Excellent First Limited
address: Room 201A, Wing On Plaza, 62 Mody Road, Tsui East
address: Kowloon
address: China
phone: +86 20 6622 2813
e-mail: ceo@yu-wei.cn
contact: technical
name: VP
organisation: Excellent First Limited
address: Room 201A, Wing On Plaza, 62 Mody Road, Tsui East
address: Kowloon
address: China
phone: +86 20 6622 2813
e-mail: technology@yu-wei.cn
nserver: A.ZDNSCLOUD.CN 203.99.24.1
nserver: B.ZDNSCLOUD.CN 203.99.25.1
nserver: C.ZDNSCLOUD.COM 203.99.26.1
nserver: D.ZDNSCLOUD.COM 203.99.27.1
nserver: F.ZDNSCLOUD.CN 116.169.54.111
nserver: G.ZDNSCLOUD.COM 223.72.199.37
nserver: I.ZDNSCLOUD.CN 2401:8d00:1:0:0:0:0:1
nserver: J.ZDNSCLOUD.COM 2401:8d00:2:0:0:0:0:1
ds-rdata: 44210 8 2 ca8c1b37378e7eba858c4fe9bad7bd6748e70da47639c3a0e31db1f71f66f467
whois: whois.gtld.knet.cn
status: ACTIVE
remarks: Registration information: http://www.newgtld.cn
created: 2015-03-12
changed: 2024-11-21
source: IANA
