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Author: Zhang Xingjian
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-01-01
Features: The profound cultural heritage of Shanxi and the prominent cultural colors of Shanxi tourism have provided rich resources for Shanxi publishers. Therefore, organizing and publishing the essence of Shanxi culture to showcase it beyond the gates of the Nüzi Pass, and even to introduce it abroad, is one of the important strategic tasks of Shanxi cultural construction, as well as a glorious mission for Shanxi publishers, the entire Shanxi cultural circle, and the publicity department. At the end of last year, the Shanxi Provincial Propaganda Department held the Shanxi Culture Promotion Week in Beijing ("Shanxi: Where Civilization Thrives"), which included an exhibition of ancient murals and traditional dance and song performances, both of which generated a sensation and fully demonstrated the immense charm of Shanxi's historical culture. These advantages determine that the main projects of Shanxi tourism should be cultural tourism; and experiencing Shanxi firsthand is the wish of many travelers. The purpose of the "Shanxi: Where People Speak of Shanxi" Cultural Tourism Series is to showcase the cultural characteristics and profound heritage of Shanxi's major tourist attractions to those who visit Shanxi and those who wish to do so, thereby serving the broader development of Shanxi's cultural industry.
Data 1: Shanxi is one of the important birthplaces of Chinese civilization, with the largest number of above-ground cultural relics in the country. More than 70% of the existing ancient buildings in China are located in Shanxi. Additionally, Shanxi has 119 key cultural relic protection units, the most in the country. Major tourist attractions in Shanxi include the Yungang Grottoes in Datong, the Liao Dynasty Wooden Pagoda in Yingxian, the Hanging Temple in Hunyuan, the Buddhist Holy Land of Mount Wutai, the Ancient City of Pingyao, the Grand Mansions of the Shanxi Merchants, the Hukou Waterfall, the Jiuzhou Guandi Temple, and the Yongle Palace in Ruicheng, among many other world-renowned historical and cultural heritage sites.
Data 2: The "Shanxi: Where People Speak of Shanxi" Cultural Tourism Series is designed to include 30 to 40 volumes, with the first installment now published, consisting of 12 volumes, primarily focusing on major tourist attractions from northern to central Shanxi. The books related to the western, southern, and southeastern regions of Shanxi are planned for release in the second and third installments. After the full series is launched, the goal is to establish it as a flagship product and a renowned brand book showcasing Shanxi's cultural tourism resources.
1. Authors of the Series: The authors are primarily young and middle-aged writers from Shanxi. They possess strong language skills, a solid foundation in history and literature, and a deep familiarity with the cultural heritage of the attractions they write about, making them well-equipped to complete their writing tasks.
2. Design Features of the Series: The series focuses on tourist attractions or scenic areas as its thematic subjects, with a distinctive emphasis on descriptive and narrative writing about human history and natural landscapes. The series enhances the personal style of the narrators while accurately depicting the scenes. Additionally, the appendix section is designed to improve service functions, featuring several columns:
- Local Highlights: Introduces local history, famous figures, and administrative characteristics.
- Intangible Cultural Heritage: Folk culture of the scenic area, such as Taoqing, Naoguo, and drum performances.
- Famous Poems and Essays.
- Things to See: Introduces related or nearby important cultural relic sites.
- Architectural Craftsmanship.
- Biographies of Famous Figures.
- Local Delicacies to Take Home: Introduces local specialties.
- Local Cuisine Stories.
- Accommodation Guide.
- Join Me on a Tour: Introduces relevant tourist routes.
3. Artistic Design of the Series: The series aims for elegance, featuring four-color printing with soft tones. It includes regionally themed book covers, marginal lines, and other designs to facilitate reading without disrupting the reading order or habit, even with numerous illustrations. The text and images are integrated, with illustrations provided for most significant scenes and structures. Each book includes over 200 illustrations on average, with a plate index at the end.
4. Market Prospects of the Series: From the outset of writing, the series considered its sales methods and channels. Initially, it is planned to be sold within the province, primarily at tourist attractions, hotels, and travel agencies, and as promotional gifts for local governments. After preliminary promotion, several bookstores have contacted the publisher to express interest, indicating a promising future.
Data 3: The publication of the first installment of the "Shanxi: Where People Speak of Shanxi" Cultural Tourism Series is merely the first step. The second and third installments are planned to introduce an "Art Tourism Series" related to "Shanxi: Where People Speak of Shanxi," focusing on Shanxi's spectacular architecture, sculptures, murals, dramas, and folk culture. The publisher's goal is to make the local into the national, and even the global; to let tourists from across the country and the world become widely aware of Shanxi and its splendid culture.
The "Shanxi: Where People Speak of Shanxi · Shanxi Tourism Cultural Picture-Text Series" (first installment) consists of 12 volumes, including A Detailed Look at Pingyao, Qiao Family Courtyard, and Confucian Merchant Family · Chang Family Manor, each featuring over 200 stunning images and textual introductions on local history, folklore, and cultural heritage, allowing readers to fully appreciate Shanxi's major tourist cultural attractions.
Professor Ge Jianxiong, Director of the Institute of Historical Geography at Fudan University, remarked, "Shanxi's architecture, sculptures, murals, dramas, and folk culture are truly captivating. Even embroidery and silver locks are irresistible." He enthusiastically called the series "Shanxi's geographical calling card."
Shanxi is one of the important birthplaces of Chinese culture, with a long and rich cultural history. Currently, more than 70% of the existing ancient buildings in Shanxi are above-ground. Shanxi has 119 key cultural relic protection units, the most in the country. Among them are numerous world-renowned historical and cultural heritage sites, such as the Yungang Grottoes, the Liao Dynasty Wooden Pagoda, the Hanging Temple, and the Buddhist Holy Land of Mount Wutai, as well as classic cultural tourism attractions like the Ancient City of Pingyao, the Grand Mansions of the Shanxi Merchants, and the Hukou Waterfall. However, due to the lack of a systematic "Shanxi Cultural Index Reader" until now, many people have only a vague understanding of Shanxi's cultural treasures, leaving much to be desired.
The "Shanxi: Where People Speak of Shanxi · Shanxi Cultural Tourism Book Series" fully showcases Shanxi's major tourist attractions, serving as a three-dimensional index map for Shanxi tourism. The series is edited by the critic Yan Jingming, who said, "The authors of the series are mostly young and middle-aged writers from Shanxi. They are like local guides, deeply familiar with the essence of Shanxi—this is also an important strategy for Shanxi in creating this 'local brand.'"