Launched on June 16, 1949 by the China Democratic League, Guangming Daily is a nationwide comprehensive newspaper. Its sponsorship was shifted to various democratic parties in China and the China Federation of Industry and Commerce in 1953. Four years later, the newspaper began to be operated under the direct leadership of the Propaganda Department and the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee. Run by the CPC Central Committee, it is now a daily paper targeting intellectuals.

The newspaper has printing spots in the cities of Shenyang, Shanghai, Wuhan, Guangzhou, Xi'an, Lanzhou, Chengdu and Kunming. And, all papers of Guangming Daily circulated in Beijing are offset laser printed. Guangming Daily has correspondents resident in many countries in the world and has a worldwide circulation though it is written in Chinese.

Guangming Daily is an influential newspaper in the fields of science and technology, education and culture, which has a large number of readers and enjoys high prestige in the state agencies, universities and schools, the armed forces and the intellectual circles. It is also an influence on the overseas Chinese intelligentsia.

As a newspaper with a long history in China, Guangming Daily now enjoys great reputation among the media. Over years of development, Guangming Daily has grown up to a large-scale newspaper group that runs other three newspapers, four periodicals, a Web site and a publishing house.