Chinese books find an audience overseas

More of the nation's contemporary authors and new translations of ancient literary classics are proving popular with foreign readers, Yang Yang reports.

In December 2021, the Arabic translation of Chinese history book Zhongguo Lishi Shiwujiang (Fifteen Lectures on Chinese History) by Zhang Qizhi won the first prize of 2021 Sheikh Hamad Award for Translation and International Understanding.

Founded in Doha, Qatar, in 2015, the award has become one of the most important awards in the Arabic-language world to honor translators.

Fifteen Lectures on Chinese History, published by Peking University Press in 2003, has been well-received in China and has enjoyed numerous reprints since. The writer, Zhang, a famous historian in China, uses simple language to help the reader navigate the zigzag course of Chinese history from ancient times to today.

The book covers topics such as the origin of Chinese civilization, the alternation of dynasties, insights into the prosperous times of the Han (206 BC-AD 220), Tang (618-907) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, communication and transportation, ethnic relationships, art and literature, politics, legal systems, agriculture, industry, military theory and practice, social life, and science and technology, among many others.

The Arabic translation was launched in 2018 at Algiers International Book Fair. So far, it has been translated into numerous languages, including Korean, Vietnamese, Arabic, Kazakh and Kirghiz.