Where to Read Manhua in Chinese: Legal Apps and Sites (2026)

If you want to know where to read manhua in Chinese, the original-language versions live on a few big Chinese platforms, and most of them can be read legally from outside China. This guide covers which platform to use, how access and payment work if you're abroad, what changed after Bilibili Comics closed its English service, and the Chinese app words you need before you can find chapter one.

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What happened to Bilibili Comics in English?

Bilibili's English-language comics service, which carried official translations of titles like Heaven Official's Blessing, shut down on February 29, 2024, citing a change in "strategic direction." Purchased chapters stopped being readable on that date. The Chinese platform it was built on, 哔哩哔哩漫画, was not affected and is still running.

It wasn't the first closure. NetEase Comics (网易漫画) shut down at the end of 2019, and U17 (有妖气), one of the oldest Chinese webcomic sites, stopped service on December 31, 2022 and was merged into Bilibili Comics, which had acquired it. If you're looking for an old U17 series such as Rakshasa Street, search Bilibili Comics. The lesson for learners: platforms come and go, so don't put years of purchases on a single app without expecting some risk.

The platforms compared

Where to read manhua in Chinese, platform by platform

Bilibili Comics 哔哩哔哩漫画

• Readers from HSK 3 (varies by title)
• Launched 2018
• Bilibili
• Web and app, simplified

Bilibili's comics platform went live on November 13, 2018. It hosts original Chinese series and licensed commercial titles, and since the start of 2023 it has also held the former U17 catalogue. The site and app have free sections (免费), and the app sells coin packs and a monthly reading card; on the US App Store these are billed in dollars through your Apple account.

Why it works for learners: It's the home of many manhua that English-speaking fans already know, including the Heaven Official's Blessing comic, so you can start with a story you've read in translation. Look for the completed section (完结) to find series you can actually finish.

Tencent Comics 腾讯动漫

• Readers from HSK 3 (varies by title)
• Launched 2012
• Tencent; business sold to China Literature (阅文集团), announced 2023
• Web and app, simplified

Launched on March 21, 2012, Tencent Comics is where long-running hits like Fox Spirit Matchmaker (狐妖小红娘), The Outcast (一人之下) and Fei Ren Zai (非人哉) built their audiences. In December 2023, China Literature announced it would buy the Tencent Comics business, including the app, for RMB 600 million. The site at ac.qq.com still runs under the 腾讯动漫 name, and some app stores list the app as 腾讯漫画. Its App Store listing describes more than 30,000 full-colour titles.

Why it works for learners: The ranking pages (排行榜) are a quick way to see what Chinese readers actually read, and the catalogue also includes Japanese and Korean comics in Chinese translation. Reading a manga you know well in Chinese is an easy first step before native manhua. Payment uses coupons (点券) and an optional V membership. Note that WeChat and QQ logins create separate accounts, so pick one and stick with it.

Kuaikan Manhua 快看漫画

• Readers from HSK 3 (varies by title)
• Founded 2014
• Founded by Chen Anni (陈安妮), Beijing
• Web and app, simplified

Kuaikan was founded in Beijing in September 2014 by the comic artist Chen Anni, and Tencent invested in it in 2019. It's aimed at secondary school and university students, with a lot of light comedy and romance. Popular family comedy Go Brother! (快把我哥带走) made its name here. The website lets you read chapters in a browser.

Why it works for learners: Comedy and romance series set at school use the spoken Mandarin of teenagers and young adults: short lines, teasing and sentence-final particles. That's closer to what you hear in modern dramas than fantasy manhua are. We couldn't find the Kuaikan app in the US or UK App Store, so the browser is the safest option outside China; check your region.

WEBTOON in Traditional Chinese LINE WEBTOON 每日漫畫

• Readers from HSK 3 / TOCFL B1 (varies by title)
• Naver WEBTOON
• Taiwanese originals and translations
• Web and app, traditional

WEBTOON's Traditional Chinese site and app, aimed mainly at Taiwan, update free comics daily and have a filter for Taiwanese original works (台灣原創作品). It also carries Korean webtoons in Chinese translation, so not everything there is manhua.

Why it works for learners: If you learn with traditional characters, or with Taiwanese dramas, this is the easiest legal place to read comics in your script. The Taiwanese originals use Taiwan Mandarin vocabulary, which differs from mainland usage in everyday words. Pair it with our Taiwanese dramas list for a consistent Taiwan Mandarin diet.

Print and e-book editions

• Readers from HSK 3 (varies by title)
• Mainland, Taiwan and Hong Kong publishers
• Simplified or traditional
• Collected volumes

Popular series are collected into printed volumes, and classics such as Old Master Q (老夫子) have long been sold in both traditional Hong Kong editions and simplified mainland ones. Search the title in the script you want at a Chinese-language bookstore that ships internationally, and check which publisher holds the rights for that region.

Why it works for learners: Print never disappears behind a closed app, and it's easier on the eyes for long sessions. The trade-off is that you can't tap a word to look it up, so keep a phone dictionary with handwriting or camera input next to you.

For which series to read on these platforms, see our list of the best manhua for Chinese learners by level. If you're not sure how manhua differ from manga and Korean webtoons, read manhwa vs manga vs manhua.

Can you read Chinese manhua apps outside China?

Usually, yes. In October 2026 both the Bilibili Comics and Tencent Comics apps were listed in the US, UK, Hong Kong and Taiwan App Stores, and on the US store their in-app purchases were priced in dollars and billed through Apple, so you don't need a Chinese bank card for them. The apps' interfaces are in Chinese only.

A few things can still get in the way. Some titles are licensed only for mainland China and won't appear abroad. Account registration can ask for a phone number, and some features may expect a Chinese one. Android availability differs by country; install only from your official app store or the platform's own website. Using a VPN to reach region-locked titles may break the platform's terms, so read them before you buy. Rules change, so check your region before paying for a bundle of coins.

How to tell an official source from a pirate one

Search for "manhua raw" and most results are aggregator sites and apps that copy official chapters without permission. They're also often slow, full of ads and missing chapters. Signs that you're on an official source:

• The seller name matches the platform. On the App Store, Bilibili Comics is sold by Shanghai Hehehe Culture Communication and Tencent Comics by Tencent Technology (Shanghai). An app called something like "comics collection" (漫画大全) from an unknown company is a red flag.
• Paid chapters exist. Official platforms lock newer or premium chapters behind coins, coupons or membership. A site where every chapter of every series is free is almost certainly unlicensed.
• The site shows a licence number. Mainland platforms list their ICP and internet culture business licence numbers in the footer.

Reading on the official platform also pays the artists who make the series you're learning from.

App words to learn before you start

The interfaces are entirely in Chinese, but they reuse a small set of words. Learn these and you can navigate any of the platforms above:

A reading setup that works

1. Read on a phone or tablet with a camera dictionary ready. Comic text is part of the image, so tap-to-translate rarely works. Screenshot the panel and use an OCR dictionary, or the web version on a computer with a screen-capture tool.
2. Start with one completed series. A finished series of 50 to 100 chapters is a realistic goal. Ongoing hits can have several hundred chapters, which is discouraging at the start.
3. Read the free chapters first, then decide. If you need more than about eight lookups per page, the series is too hard for now; try a daily-life comedy instead.
4. Keep the script consistent. Mainland apps are simplified; WEBTOON's Traditional Chinese edition and most Taiwanese and Hong Kong print editions are traditional. Mixing both early on slows you down.
5. Reread before you buy more. Rereading the free chapters a week later is a cheap way to check that the vocabulary is sticking before you spend coins on the rest.

For reading strategy in general, see how to read in a foreign language, and browse all our Chinese posts on the Chinese hub.

Track your reading hours

Comics feel like a break, which is exactly why the hours add up without you noticing. Log your sessions in LangTrack to see how much reading you do in a month, how it compares with your listening time, and how fast chapters go as your level rises.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I read manhua in Chinese legally?

The main legal platforms are Bilibili Comics (哔哩哔哩漫画), Tencent Comics (腾讯动漫, ac.qq.com) and Kuaikan Manhua (快看漫画). All three have free chapters and paid ones. For traditional characters, WEBTOON's Traditional Chinese edition has Taiwanese originals.

Is Bilibili Comics still available in English?

No. Bilibili's English-language comics service shut down on February 29, 2024. The Chinese-language app, 哔哩哔哩漫画, is still running and is listed in app stores outside China, including the US App Store.

Can I read Chinese manhua apps outside China?

Often, yes. The Bilibili Comics and Tencent Comics apps were listed in the US and UK App Stores in October 2026, with purchases billed through your app store account. Availability and individual titles vary by region, so check your region.

What level of Chinese do I need to read manhua?

Around HSK 3 to 4 for daily-life comedies, and HSK 5 or higher for fantasy and historical series with set phrases and semi-classical lines. Below HSK 3, you will also need the Chinese app interface words, which are easy to learn first.