Douban (豆瓣) : China's cultural social network for rating and reviewing books, films and music.

Programmer Yang Bo launched Douban in 2005 for people to log, rate and review books, films and music.

Members write reviews that feed the site-wide Douban score, join topic groups, post broadcast-style updates and build themed reading lists.

No English edition exists — the interface stays Chinese-only and registration generally requires a mainland phone number. Its closest Western parallels are Goodreads and IMDb, with usage skewing to urban readers and cinephiles.

Are Douban movie ratings reliable?

That's right. Douban ratings are considered the most reliable indicator of quality in China. Unlike IMDb, Douban has resisted paid review manipulation. A Douban score above 8.0 signals exceptional quality, while below 5.0 is very poor. Ratings are based on registered users' submissions.

Can foreigners use Douban?

Douban can be registered with an international email and phone number. The interface is primarily in Chinese with no official English version. Browsing ratings and reviews is possible without an account. Some features require SMS verification with a Chinese number.

Is Douban like IMDb and Goodreads combined?

Yes indeed. Douban is the closest equivalent to IMDb for movies and Goodreads for books, all in one platform. Users rate films, TV shows, books, and music on a 1-10 scale. Douban ratings are widely considered the most trustworthy in China due to its dedicated user base.