To cater to the demands of readers, and with permission from the Press and Publications Administration of China, the English version of Chinese Literature magazine is now available on Internet for the convenience of a wider range of readers. The columns are somewhat different from those of the former paper edition, but the purpose remains the same: To introduce the most splendid examples of Chinese literature and culture to the whole world.
The eight columns include: 1. News and Events to give readers a general idea of the current situation in China's literary and artistic circles. 2. Contemporary Literature which introduces the best contemporary writers and their fiction, prose and poetry. 3. Modern Literature which focuses on the best Chinese writers in the first half of the 20th century and their prose works and poems. 4. Classics which gives a chronological representation of classical Chinese literature over the past 3,000 years. 5. Traditional Chinese Culture which introduces Chinese arts and crafts, archaeological findings, calligraphy, architecture and folk arts. 6. Art Salon where a myriad collection of paintings from the past 3,000 years will be on display to give readers infinite artistic enjoyment and a brief introduction to the development and styles of traditional Chinese paintings. 7. Publications which introduces the books published by the Foreign Languages Press and other publishing houses, with their covers, ISBN numbers and a brief introduction to their contents. 8. Leisure Moment where fables, and humorous and one-minute stories are available.
Another column Profiles of writers will be set up. It will introduce a number of celebrated writers as well as the critical articles to give a quick insight into the writers' lives and careers.
The website is designed to provide important reference materials for all international students and scholars of China's language, history, philosophy and other branches of humanities, and act as a valuable aid for them to better understand the Chinese people.
The French edition of Chinese Literature will be available on the Internet in mid-November 2001.
Chinese Literature magazine was founded in 1951, and published in English and French. Over the past half century since its establishment, it has been focusing on introducing the best Chinese literary works, literary and artistic criticism, and art from every period in Chinese history. It has been serving as a window on Chinese literature and culture, enjoying widespread popularity among readers both within China and abroad.
(china.org.cn November 8, 2001)
