You're right about it. After a 8.0.3 re-installation, the issue seems to have gone. See screen output: euc_tw=# \d contacts Table "public.contacts" Column | Type | Modifiers --------+-----------------------+----------- id | integer | name | character varying(50) | euc_tw=# insert into contacts values('1','\345\244\251\345\244\251'); INSERT 17235 1 euc_tw=# select * from contacts euc_tw-# ; id | name ----+-------- 1 | 天天 (1 row) Thanks for pinpointing the potential cause, so makes the trouble shooting a lot easier. - eric ---------------------------(end of broadcast)--------------------------- TIP 5: Have you checked our extensive FAQ? http://www.postgresql.org/docs/faq