The Story of Alice Being Banned in China Remains Disputed

A popular story says that in 1931 the governor of China’s Hunan province banned *Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland* because its animals speak. But a newspaper item that year reported his criticism of school textbooks featuring animal characters and did not mention Carroll’s book. An anonymous *New York Times* column later linked his comments to *Alice*. Researchers consider that version unsubstantiated, although a statement from the translator’s family may point to a brief ban. It therefore remains unclear whether the book was actually banned, when, or for what reason.