Life> Reading

Beyond symbolism

By Mei Jia (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-01-15 10:25

A Chinese and British publisher join hands to produce a book that is not just a visual treat but also demystifies Chinese culture for foreigners. Mei Jia reports

Introducing Chinese culture to the rest of world through the printed word is something Chinese and overseas publishers have been grappling with for a long time.

The newly launched English version of Symbols of China (SOC), a one-volume illustrated book, may have finally broken that deadlock. Co-presented by the Nanjing-based Yilin Press and London-based Compendium Publishing, it also opens up a new way of collaboration between the two sides.

The book is aimed at familiarizing outsiders with Chinese culture, says Liu Feng, editor-in-chief of Yilin Press, and the person tasked with the SOC project. "Culture defines a country's international image and this is what we are trying to promote."

As a renowned publisher of world literature in the Chinese market for many years, Yilin, according to Liu, has already tested the waters by publishing and selling collections of Chinese novelists such as Shen Congwen, and primers on Chinese culture such as the Introduction on Suzhou Gardens, for overseas readers.

However, the limited response to these prompted Yilin to abandon follow-up publications of the two series.

But four years ago, when he attended the Frankfurt Book Fair, Liu met a German reader. Fascinated by the Suzhou Gardens book, he insisted on buying the not-for-sale sample.

"Seeing his enthusiasm, it suddenly occurred to me that our frustrations were not caused by a lack of interested readers. We just didn't know them well enough," Liu says. "[I realized that] there is hope if we could find a suitable way to do the books."

Yilin's SOC project is geared to the global market.

The first six-volume Chinese version was published in 2008 and was compiled by a group of scholars led by writer and culture expert Feng Jicai.

For the English version, Yilin took over the text and other materials, and Compendium's role was to suggest "how the material could best be presented for the Western market", says Simon Forty, Liu's English counterpart.

Paul Richardson, a veteran publisher and member of the international advisory board of China Book International notes that while there are books with a similar theme on the UK and US markets, "they are either written by Westerners and may not convey the true Chinese significance of Chinese symbolism, or by Chinese experts who take for granted a knowledge of Chinese civilization and history amongst Western readers".

Xie Shanqing, who is coordinating the project with Yilin Press, says: "We wanted SOC to be close to the Westerners' reading habit, and be an easy read."

The first hurdle to overcome was the choice and organization of the content. "We had to come up with a different approach," Forty says, pointing to the rush of publications on Chinese themes triggered by the 2008 Olympic Games. To avoid becoming another thick, indigestible book that would frighten the readers, Liu says, the book concentrates on symbols seen as distinctively Chinese by foreigners.

Both Yilin and Compendium agree that narrowing down the selection of symbols to a manageable number from the six-volume series proved the most difficult and time-consuming part of their work.

"We chose carefully because we wanted to present the symbols that either the global readers must know, or the ones we must introduce, to facilitate a deeper understanding of Chinese culture," Liu says.

The book concentrates on cultural icons whose symbolic meanings provide an insight into Chinese life and thinking, and are grouped as Cultural Icons, Ceremonies and Festivals, Arts and Crafts, Legends, Famous Figures, Natural Wonders, Architectural Heritage, Performing Arts, and Daily Life.

Isabelle Vinson, editor-in-chief of MUSEUM International, UNESCO, who prefaces the book, says the inclusion of symbols of architecture and of daily life represents the pervasiveness and continuity of Chinese symbolism.

Even colors carry a deeper symbolism. For example, the color white is linked with death so the Chinese will avoid wearing anything white in the hair.

"The symbols are not dead legacies, but live cultural elements that have shaped China and its people, and have a lot to do with the Chinese people's everyday lives," Liu stresses.

The section on tea explains "chadao" (the ritual of drinking tea) and reveals why this is such a well-loved Chinese ritual.

And the one titled Four Auspicious Creatures tells the stories of Chinese totems including the dragon, the symbol of imperial power, and the turtle, a symbol of longevity and prosperity.

"This [the book] will both amaze and enlighten Western readers," says Richardson. "For most Westerners, Chinese symbols are just a matter of a good luck sign tattooed on a football or pop star's arm or a dragon on a girl's shoulder."

He believes the book will help its target readers acquire a much more substantial understanding of Chinese cultural values that have stood the test of time.

Agreeing, project coordinator Xie says Westerners may wonder why there are always statues of the red-faced Guan Yu (an important character of the book, Romance of the Three Kingdoms) in China Town restaurants, and the answer can be found in this book. In a nutshell, it will show readers what makes the Chinese Chinese, says Xie.

Besides content, the other challenge the project ran into was language. Xie says the re-writing, as opposed to translating from the Chinese version, is a highlight of the book.

A selection of young scholars and writers were invited to do the rewriting, which was then further revised and edited by experts, who are native English speakers and established cross-cultural professionals, including John A. Froebe, former US Consul General in Shenyang, Liaoning province, and Zhang Yi, a teacher with the School of Foreign Studies, Nanjing University, known for his mastery of English and knowledge of English-speaking people.

Explaining that a rigid translation would only obscure the understanding, he resorted to comparisons. For example, to explain the charm of go, or weiqi, he talks of Western chess and Deep Blue the supercomputer, instead of giving lengthy instructions on how to play the game.

Compendium also invited Richard Evans, art director of the rock band The Who, to design and illustrate the book. "We wanted pictures with Chinese characteristics - something that would help readers understand the specific meanings of the text. Evans did that," Simon says.

Meanwhile, the Chinese publisher too learned a lot during the designing phase. Xie recalls sending and getting dozens of e-mails a day from their English partner to discuss where to place the picture of plum blossom to achieve the best look.

"Their reader-oriented approach was really enlightening," Xie says.

The mutual effort is paying off. After the launch of the English version of SOC at the 2009 Frankfurt Book Fair, Compendium has secured a purchase order from a US agent. And the French and German versions are on the way.

Richardson says: "I think the book is a perfect example of how a Chinese publisher and a UK publisher can work together to produce a truly beautiful book that is not only visually irresistible, but carries a serious and fascinating message."