Cihai (99th Edition) Treasure Edition (Volumes 1-9)

Author: Compiled by the Editorial Committee of Cihai
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-10-01
Features: The Cihai (1999 Edition) was published as scheduled on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. The two characters "Cihai" on the cover were personally inscribed by Comrade Jiang Zemin on December 7, 1998. Cihai is a large-scale comprehensive dictionary that combines character-based entries with the functions of a dictionary, a language and literature dictionary, and an encyclopedic dictionary. It was first published in Shanghai by the Zhonghua Book Company in 1936. In the autumn of 1957, Comrade Mao Zedong accepted the proposal of one of the chief editors of Cihai, Shu Xingcheng, and decided to revise Cihai, entrusting this task to Shanghai. At that time, the Zhonghua Book Company had already moved to Beijing, so in the spring of 1958, an independent editorial and publishing organization—the Zhonghua Book Company Cihai Editorial and Publishing Institute (renamed the Shanghai Book and Periodical Publishing House in 1978)—was established in Shanghai. In the summer of 1959, the Cihai Editorial Committee was established, with Shu Xingcheng and Chen Wangdao serving as its chief editors successively. In April 1965, the Zhonghua Book Company Cihai Editorial and Publishing Institute published the Cihai (Unfinished Draft). After the end of the Cultural Revolution, in December 1978, the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China decided to restore and strengthen the Cihai Editorial Committee, with Xia Zhengnong appointed as its chief editor. After revision, on the occasions of the 30th and 40th anniversaries of the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Shanghai Book and Periodical Publishing House published the 1979 and 1989 editions of Cihai, respectively. These two editions of Cihai each had three-volume editions, abridged editions, supplementary editions, and subject-specific volumes. Among them, the three-volume and abridged editions had a cumulative circulation of over five million copies. In 1992, the Shanghai Book and Periodical Publishing House collaborated with Donghua Book Company to publish the 1989 edition of Cihai in Taiwan. In 1993, Cihai won the highest award of the first National Book Award—the Honorary Award. To celebrate the publication of the 1989 edition of Cihai, Comrade Jiang Zemin inscribed: "Promote the spirit of Cihai—meticulousness, careful word selection, and rigorous work style—in order to improve the cultural quality of the Chinese nation." The 1999 edition of Cihai appeared before readers with a new look in both content and form. This edition is slightly larger in size than the 1989 edition, with numerous revised entries, primarily to reflect changes in domestic and international situations and the development of cultural science and technology, to fill gaps, correct errors, and streamline a small number of entries and definitions. This edition also introduces a color-illustrated version, featuring over 16,000 images, and presents a revised layout, divided into four volumes, with an appendix and an index volume. At the same time, the popular edition (three volumes) continues to be published, and on this basis, an abridged edition is also published, along with subject-specific volumes and CDs. Since 1957, the revision of Cihai has been supported by the three generations of leaders of the Communist Party of China and has benefited from the sincere cooperation of the national academic community. All the compilers have adhered to the spirit of seeking truth from facts, taken their responsibilities seriously, and strived for excellence. Through continuous revisions, Cihai has played its due role in the construction of China's spiritual and material civilizations and will continue to make its contributions.