It was recently reported that the Korean edition of A Survey of Ancient Buildings in China, a book title in the “Masters for the Masses” Book Series, would be launched in South Korea under the Program of Mutual Translation and Publishing of Chinese and South Korean Classics.

The Chinese edition of the book is published by Beijing Lunyang Books Publishing Co., Ltd., a publishing entity under Beijing Publishing Group (BPG). It is the first time that a book published by BPG is listed in the “Plan for Mutual Translation of Asian Classics.”

Fully subsidized by the South Korean Government, the book will be translated into Korean, and published and promoted in South Korea in 2022. To further develop and use the IP of the book, and boost promoting effects through joint efforts, the rights to produce, publish, distribute and promote the E-BOOK of the Korean edition of the book will all be granted to the Korean publisher.

The Plan for Mutual Translation of Asian Classics (“The Plan”) was initiated as a response to the important spirit proposed by President Xi Jinping during the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations. Focusing on promoting the mutual translation of cultural achievements and mutual learning of civilizations among the Asian people, and helping signatory countries further understand and appreciate the cultures of each other, the Plan is established to become a platform of communication and mutual learning for displaying and disseminating the beauty of civilizations.

The mutual translation and publishing of Chinese and South Korean classics are conducive to promoting the friendship between China and South Korea, effectively encouraging cooperation between China and South Korea in the field of publishing at a higher level, expanding trade in book copyrights, and boosting the communication and mutual learning between the two countries in the field of culture.

A Survey of Ancient Buildings in China systematically introduces ancient buildings in China, and presents the specialized and systematic research findings concerning buildings, urban planning and architectural appearance in ancient China in light of the characteristics of different architectural structures and urban plans. The book clearly demonstrates the differences between ancient buildings constructed in various periods of time.

A large amount of field survey data about the palaces, altars and temples is quoted in an attempt to faithfully restore the original appearance of the buildings and to explore the spatial metaphor, the cultural connotations and power relationships involved in buildings, thus revealing the aspects of buildings that are “invisible” to readers of general interest.

The copyright owner of the book is Mr. Fu Xinian, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, director of the National Committee of Cultural Relics, and research fellow with the Institute of Architectural History, China Construcion Technology Institute.

The book analyzes the architectural design and the urban planning of capital cities based on modular relationships, and presents the research findings based on restoring various kinds of buildings from the Warring States Period, the Han Dynasty, the Northern Dynasties, to the Sui, Tang, Song, Jin, Ming and Qing dynasties.

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