Encyclopaedia of China (Color Printing)

Author: Xia Zhengnong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1999-01-01
Features: The Magnificent Journey of Compiling the Ci Hai
The Ci Hai is a crystallization of centuries and generations of scholars' relentless efforts. The earliest planning and initiation of the Ci Hai dates back to 1915. At that time, Mr. Lu Fei, the host of the Commercial Press, resolved to compile a comprehensive dictionary that combined Chinese single characters, words, and encyclopedic knowledge, a grand ambition that commands respect. Inspired by the idea of "embracing a vast sea of knowledge," the book was named Ci Hai.
The early Ci Hai project, launched in autumn 1915, saw intermittent progress until 1928. Starting in 1928, Shu Xingcheng was appointed as the chief editor of the Ci Hai, and by 1936, the two massive volumes were officially published, making a profound impact across the nation and becoming a landmark event in the history of Chinese publishing.
After the liberation, Mao Zedong formally decided to revise the early Ci Hai in September 1957, marking the second spring and the second phase of entrepreneurship for the Ci Hai. In May 1958, the Commercial Press established the Ci Hai Editorial Department, and in summer 1959, the Ci Hai Editorial Committee was formed. In March 1960, the trial draft of the Ci Hai was released, followed by the second draft in November, based on the initial version. In October 1961, the trial edition of the 16-volume Ci Hai, organized by subject, was published internally. In April 1963, the preliminary version of the Ci Hai was distributed internally. Through trials and tribulations, the Ci Hai entered a new era amid the transformation of the times.
In 1979, the three-volume Ci Hai was officially published, marking the fulfillment of a dream for over 5,000 experts who had devoted over two decades to the task. It was presented as a grand gift to the 30th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. Guided by the principles of updating, filling gaps, and correcting errors, the 1989 edition of the Ci Hai was published, for which Jiang Zemin inscribed a preface that highly summarized and summarized the spirit of the Ci Hai.
As the new millennium dawned, the 1999 edition of the Ci Hai, with extensive revisions and supplements, was released, accompanied by the introduction of a color-illustrated edition as the main version.
Introduction to Former Chief Editors
Shu Xingcheng (1893-1960), originally from Xupu, Hunan, graduated from YueLu Normal School in 1917 and was appointed as the director of teaching affairs at FuXiang Women's School the following year. In 1920, he met Mao Zedong while teaching at Hunan Normal School. In 1923, introduced by Yan Daiying and others, he joined the "Juveniles of China" Society. Later, he served as the head of the middle school department at China University, a professor at Southeast University in Nanjing, and a professor at Sichuan Normal School. He authored works such as History of Studying Abroad and History of Educational Thought. In 1928, he became the chief editor of the Ci Hai.
Chen Wangdao (1891-1977), originally from Yiwu, Zhejiang, graduated from the law department of Central University in Japan. In 1920, he translated and published The Communist Manifesto and co-founded the Shanghai Communist Group with Chen Duxiu, later serving as an editor for New Youth. After teaching at Shanghai University and Fudan University, he became the vice chairman of the Cultural Education Committee of the East China Military and Political Committee, Minister of Culture, president of Fudan University, director of the Higher Education Bureau of the East China Administrative Committee, and a member of the Philosophy and Social Sciences Department of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He also served as a standing committee member of the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and vice chairman of the China Democratic League, concurrently serving as the director of the Shanghai branch. His works include Fundamentals of Rhetoric and Chen Wangdao's Collected Works. In 1961, he was appointed as the chief editor of the Ci Hai.
Leaders of the Republic and Prominent Figures Abroad and at Home
The Ci Hai has always been a source of concern for generations of leaders of the People's Republic since its revision. In 1957, Chairman Mao Zedong discussed the Ci Hai with Shu Xingcheng. The chairman said, "I have used the Ci Hai for the past 20 years, even carrying it during battles in northern Shaanxi. Later, in Yan'an, when enemy conditions became urgent, I had to bury it and never found it again. Now, this book is too old and outdated. I hope it can be revised."
In March 1971, Premier Zhou Enlai issued a directive prohibiting the complete scrapping, storage, and removal of books published over the past 17 years, emphasizing the need to continue revising the Ci Hai (preliminary draft) and including it in the national publishing plan. In 1974, Comrade Deng Xiaoping, then the chief of the General Staff of the Central Military Commission. On one August day, a report from Shanghai was placed on his desk, requesting the Central Military Commission to review and revise all military subject entries of the Ci Hai with the Military Academy of Sciences. Comrade Deng reviewed it immediately and inscribed on it, "It is proposed that the Military Academy of Sciences review and provide feedback." From submission to approval, only 10 days passed.
In early summer 1998, the revision of the 1999 edition of the Ci Hai was in full swing. One night, Mr. Xia Zhengnong, the chief editor of the Ci Hai, was still working at his desk when Secretary-General Jiang Zemin personally called. Mr. Xia proposed that Secretary-General Jiang write the book titles for both the Ci Hai and the Da Ci Hai. In fact, a decade earlier, when Secretary-General Jiang Zemin served as mayor and party secretary of Shanghai, he had participated in numerous Ci Hai work conferences. When the 1989 edition of the Ci Hai was released, he inscribed, "Let us promote the meticulous and rigorous spirit of the Ci Hai, striving to improve the cultural quality of the Chinese nation."
When the 1999 edition of the Ci Hai, with its rich ink fragrance, was presented to readers, they were surprised to find that the bold and vigorous characters "Ci Hai" on the cover were hand-written by Secretary-General Jiang Zemin. Jiang Zemin once said, "When speaking of vast knowledge, we call it 'sea.'" The name Ci Hai was chosen to affirm the great significance of the compilation work.
Wang Daohan
The success of the revision of the Ci Hai means that we have accurately reflected the development of Chinese culture and achieved another new victory.
Xia Zhengnong
All knowledge and culture have inheritances, but they are also limited by historical constraints, so they must have shortcomings. Therefore, the Ci Hai must continuously correct, improve, and enrich on its existing foundation.
Guo Yushi
The Ci Hai is one of the most favored and widely used Chinese reference books among foreign readers. A foreign friend once said that owning a Ci Hai is like having a cultural companion. When back home, one can always seek help and understand China from it.
A Fully Colored Large-Scale Dictionary of China
New Entries: Over 6,000 new entries, most of which are words that have emerged in the past decade.
New Definitions: Due to significant changes in international trends, transformations in the domestic economic system, rapid advancements in science and technology, and changes in administrative divisions, many entries related to politics, economics, science and technology, and place names have been newly defined.
New Norms: In recent years, many new norms have emerged in fields such as law, administration, and science and technology. The new edition of the Ci Hai has adopted these new norms in its writing.
New Data: Population figures, production data, and various economic indicators, as well as all entries involving data, have been updated with new information.
New Illustrations: Over 16,000 illustrations accompany the text, most of which are color photographs. The color-illustrated edition of the Ci Hai is a pioneering effort in the field of Chinese large-scale dictionaries.
New Design: In addition to a large number of color illustrations, the book also incorporates colored blocks for necessary black-and-white line diagrams and structural formulas, making the entire work rich in visuals and vibrant in color, with a more modern aesthetic.
The Ci Hai is a comprehensive dictionary that combines single characters with words, serving as a dictionary of Chinese characters, a linguistic dictionary, and an encyclopedic dictionary. The 1999 edition of the Ci Hai was revised based on the 1989 edition. The number of single characters increased from 16,534 to 19,485, and the number of entries expanded from 120,000 to 122,835. The total volume increased by approximately 4 million words compared to the 1989 edition. Most of the new entries are words that have emerged in the past decade, such as "Internet," "multimedia," "genetically modified animals," and "socialist market economy."
The Ci Hai appendix includes 13 items such as the "Chronological Table of Chinese History," the "Brief Table of Administrative Divisions of the People's Republic of China," the "Brief Table of Commonly Used Organization Names," the "Brief Table of the Distribution of Ethnic Minorities in China," the "Brief Table of World Countries and Regions," and the "List of World Currency Names." Each volume begins with the "Table of Radicals in the Ci Hai." The index includes the "Stroke Index," the "Pinyin Index," the "Four-Corner Code Index," and the "Foreign Language Index of Entries."
The Ci Hai is a comprehensive dictionary that combines single characters with words, serving as a dictionary of Chinese characters, a linguistic dictionary, and an encyclopedic dictionary. The 1999 edition of the Ci Hai was revised based on the 1989 edition. The number of single characters increased from 16,534 to 19,485, and the number of entries expanded from 120,000 to 122,835. The total volume increased by approximately 4 million words compared to the 1989 edition. Most of the new entries are words that have emerged in the past decade, such as "Internet," "multimedia," "genetically modified animals," and "socialist market economy."
The book includes over 16,000 illustrations accompanying the text, most of which are color photographs, making the color-illustrated edition of the Ci Hai a pioneering effort in the field of Chinese large-scale dictionaries.