Amid the Wonderful Smell of Books

“Cultural communication between Myanmar and China can be traced back more than 1，000 years to the Tang Dynasty， with a plethora of beautiful stories left behind，” a Myanmar writer told China Report ASEAN. Inspired by the old folk legend of a Pyu Kingdom prince leading a band on a northern journey all the way to the Tang to play for the Tang royalty， he has written a novel which he hopes can be co-published by a Chinese publishing company， so as to make a contribution to publishing cooperation between the two countries.

Over the years， many Chinese and Myanmar writers and publishers have played an active role in promoting cultural communication between the two peoples. Min Thu Wun， father of Myanmar President U Htin Kyaw， was a renowned poet and literature critic in his country. Apart from a variety of literary works he composed himself， he also translated numerous Chinese poems and essays， opening a window into Chinese history and culture.

One Book， Two Countries

In April this year， Min Thu Wun’s Affinity with China， in both Chinese and Myanmar language， was released in Beijing. The bilingual book is a collection of Min Thu Wun’s translations of Chinese poetry and literature as well as his own works， and its publication laid a new cornerstone for Sino-Myanmar cultural exchanges.

“China and Myanmar share geographical proximity and cultural affinities， and I hope my father’s literary collection will propel deepened cultural exchange between the two countries，” remarked President U Htin Kyaw， full of anticipation for the publishing of Min Thu Wun’s Affinity with China.

President U Htin Kyaw explained that his father felt a great attachment to Chinese culture and translated a myriad of outstanding Chinese literary works which share common ground with Myanmar literature. He revealed that he himself once attempted to learn Chinese， but the language proved “so difficult to pronounce that my tongue could not move freely.”

As a “bridge of literature”， the book not only provides a picture of Chinese works in various forms， but also opens a window for Chinese readers to understand Myanmar.

The compilation， translation and publication of the book， which also entertains readers with a large number of precious photos and illustrations by famous Myanmar artists， was a result of two months of hard work by Foreign Languages Press and China Report Press under the coordination of China International Publishing Group. The project also received great support and assistance from the Min Thu Wun Foundation， the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar and China Radio International.

The book is largely devoted to introducing Lu Xun (pen name of Zhou Shuren， 1881-1936)， a great Chinese writer of the early 20th century， and his magnum opus. Using sardonic and sharp words， Lu Xun broadened the horizons of the Chinese people under the oppression of feudalism and imperialism. Similarly， his contemporary counterpart in Myanmar， Thakin Kodaw Hmaing (1876-1964)， also looked to literature to enlighten the public and fight against the colonial regime. Mr. Min Thu Wun lavished his literary skills on praising Lu Xun’s spiritual profundity and honorable personality， which have been deeply imprinted in the minds of readers in Myanmar.

As a talented poet， Min Thu Wun translated many verses by Chinese poets， including Bai Juyi (772-846) of the Tang Dynasty and former Foreign Minister Chen Yi (1901-1972). Despite the different languages， poets of the two countries have maintained a bond through verse.

Due to his fondness for children， Min Thu Wun also translated numerous works of children’s literature， of which several popular Chinese folktales such as Magic Pen Ma Liang， The River Snail Maiden and Legend of the White Snake were included in the book.

Also found in the book are Min Thu Wun’s famous writings on traditional Myanmar culture， such as “Myanmar Culture and Knowledge”， “Traditional Manners of Myanmar” and “Our Village”.

While addressing the book launch ceremony， Guo Weimin， vice minister of China’s State Council Information Office， said the book is a testament to not only Min Thu Wun’s thorough understanding of Chinese culture， but also the deep roots of people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

“The president’s visit to China and attendance at the book launch continues to write a new chapter in the cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries，” Guo added. “China and Myanmar are friendly neighbors sharing deep and profound traditional ‘Paukphaw’ [fraternal] friendship， which will remain strong and grow further.”

In the book’s preface， Maung Khin Min-Danubyu， a recipient of the Myanmar National Literature Award and a Lifetime Achievement Award， former dean of the Myanmar Department at the University of Yangon and member of the Myanmar Language Commission， wrote that Myanmar and China have been intimate brothers for centuries and stated that the two countries’ joint efforts in publishing Min Thu Wun’s works will further improve bilateral cultural communication.

Wu Shangzhi， vice minister of the Chinese State Administration of Press， Publication， Radio， Film and Television， stressed that closer publication cooperation between China and Myanmar has yielded remarkable fruits in the new century， and that increasing bilateral cooperation in book publication will further consolidate bonds and friendship between the two peoples.

Solidifying ‘Paukphaw’ Friendship Through Books

Covering a space of 300 square meters in downtown Mandalay， Myanmar， the three-floor Xinzhi Books is filled with a pleasant mix of the fresh fragrance of plants and the smell of fresh ink. It is the first Chinese bookstore in the city and the fourth set up by China’s Xinzhi Group in Southeast Asia， following those in Phnom Penh in Cambodia， Vientiane in Laos and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. Apart from more than 20，000 different books， as well as school and office supplies for sale， the store also provides a quiet nook for customers to experience traditional Chinese tea ceremony.

“Fiction and literature are the bestselling genres， followed by teaching-aid books and reference books in Chinese， Myanmar language and English，” said Yang Xiaodong， manager of Xinzhi Books in Mandalay. “New books are released here around the same time as they are launched in the Chinese market. Domestic bestsellers such as In the Name of the People are also popular among Myanmar readers.”

According to Yang， the bookstore regularly organizes book promotion events at schools in Mandalay and Yangon with an aim to broaden students’ extracurricular horizons. He added that like a never-ending Chinese book exhibition， the bookstore is committed to disseminating Chinese culture and promoting mutual understanding between people of the two countries.

“Thanks to the expanded cooperation between China and Myanmar， Myanmar readers are showing rising interest in China and Chinese culture， and many art lovers have specifically come to buy collections of Chinese paintings，” Yang said. At present， there are some 3 million people of Chinese descent living in Myanmar， and with the increasing number of people studying the Chinese language in Myanmar included， the demand for Chinese books keeps growing.

Among frequent visitors to the bookstore are students of the University of Mandalay， who， out of great interest in China， hope to learn more about the country’s development and come closer to Chinese people’s lives following the storylines of the novels they find there.

For Chinese investors and tourists in Myanmar who are in urgent need of information about local folk customs as well as laws and regulations， Xinzhi Books offers optimal solutions. Books such as Basic Burmese， An Introduction to Myanmar Culture and History of Myanmar Literature are sought-after here.

Yang said the bookstore plans to translate Chinese and Myanmar books into each other’s language， which has been highly praised by Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar Hong Liang.

“Books are bridges that link together different cultures，” Hong said. “I expect more mutual translations of Chinese and Myanmar books， which is of great significance to solidifying friendship between the two peoples.”