From translating versions of foreign textbooks to editing and writing by Chinese, from textbooks of writing in classical Chinese to those of writing in vernacular, from imperfections in style and content to relative perfect editions, textbooks experienced a process of continuous transformations to meet the needs of the times. This evolution was partly based on the sheer variety of publications, including traditional books, category books and title catalogues, as well as a group of references publications edited and published quickly such as newspapers and periodicals indexes, dictionaries, tables, chorographic maps, annuals and handbooks. Pictorials were created on the basis of novels with illustrated portraits of the main characters—pictures were more important than words. These new publications were popular among readers and accepted by society as soon as they were published.
The Social Transition Promoted by New Publishing
Modern ideas filter into people’s minds From the 19th century, during the modernization of Chinese publishing, publishing concepts from the west were introduced into China as western learning spread eastward. The concept of “freedom of the press” was one of the most important.
In 1644, the idea of freedom of the press was first proposed in Areopagitica, written by British political commentator John Milton. A rising capitalist class used the slogan “freedom of the press” as a weapon to strive for democracy and against feudalistic autocracy. Something similar happened in China. From the mid- 1800s, freedom of the press not only became a weapon to criticize and fight against feudalism, but also an ideal and a pursuit for reformists from the capitalist class. In 1912, after the success of the revolution of 1911, the government of the newly founding Republic of China declared in “The Provisional Constitution of the Republic of China” that “people enjoy freedom of speech, writing, press, assembly and association,” meaning that freedom of the press was a right protected by law.
The establishment of copyright
The concept of the copyright protection gradually made its way to the hearts of people, promoting the establishment of a modern copyright system and the promulgation of copyright law. In 1903, Commercial Press signed the first modern publishing contract in modern China with famous translator Yan Fu for publishing his translation A General Theory of Society. The contract read that both the translator and the publisher shared the copyright of this book. If the contract became invalid, the copyright would be left with the translator. The translator could not allow other publishers to print this translation work unless the contract became null and void. Both the translator and the publisher’s rights and obligations were specifically identified by the contract that bounded and protected both sides, facilitating the enforcement of the copyright contract, which was originally devoid of substance.