Overseas exhibitors and publishers at the ongoing 31st Beijing International Book Fair (BIBF) have shown keen interest in books about China's history and civilization, and its contemporary development.
The BIBF runs from June 18 to 22 in the Chinese capital. It features over 1,700 exhibitors from 80 countries and regions, exhibiting 220,000 premium Chinese and foreign book titles.
The book "The Story of the Chinese Gnomon" published by Beijing Yanshan Press tells the history of the gnomon -- an astronomical instrument used in ancient China to measure the length of the sun's shadow, showcasing the ancient Chinese method of thinking about using mathematics to measure the sky and earth and connect the universe with humanity.
"Through a very simple tool, the book makes it clear what ancient Chinese astronomy was about and its relationship with social politics," said Sun Xiaochun, author of "The Story of the Chinese Gnomon".
The Springer Nature Publishing Group signed a cooperation agreement for the English versions of this book and other publications in the Science-Humanities series at the BIBF.
The China Social Sciences Press held a signing event for the multi-language versions of "Frontier Explorations of Chinese-style Modernization". This set of books systematically presents the practices in Shanghai, Zhejiang, and Shenzhen, providing new options and references for the modernization construction of developing countries.
"How Chinese have developed over many, many centuries and many thousands of years. So we're interested in what's the base of Chinese culture reflected right the way forward through history into the world of China today. And then we're also publishing books on modern China -- how China is developing technology, how it is leading the world now in areas of information science, technology, electric vehicles, aerospace, so we cover a broad spectrum. We want to introduce Chinese scholarship and Chinese ideas to the world, ancient, right the way through to modern," said Jeremy North, managing director for books publishing at British publisher Taylor and Francis.
A cooperation agreement for the English version of "Ancient Bamboo and Wooden Slips: Studies on Early Chinese Civilization" series was also signed between Chinese and overseas publishers at the book fair.
"The studies of oracle bones and oracle bone script, bamboo slips and silk manuscripts, and ancient handwriting contain some genes of Chinese civilization, are of great significance for understanding China and its culture," said Zhao Jianying, president of the China Social Sciences Press.
In the field of literature, reading materials that describe the stories now happening in China also caught much attention of overseas participants, according to the exhibitors.
"Many foreign publishing houses would come to us. They're paying special attention to what is happening in China at present, such as themes related to Chinese cities and Chinese women, including some of the graphic novels and comics that reflect the life of young people nowadays," said Zhao Ping, deputy editor-in-chief of People's Literature Publishing House.
Books about Chinese civilization, modernization in spotlight at Beijing Int'l Book Fair
