Hangzhou Biography: Living in Paradise -- New Book Launched to Take Chinese and Foreign Readers on a Deep Dive into Hangzhou

In May， the book launch and signing ceremony for Hangzhou Biography： Living in Paradise was held in Hangzhou， Zhejiang. Renowned writer Wang Xufeng， the author of the book， from the ancient Yue people who carved jade for swords to the contemporary Hangzhou elegance， chronologically explores the development of Hangzhou， a city that embodies both ancient and modern qualities. The book provides a systematic overview of Hangzhou’s history and showcases its contemporary charm， allowing Chinese and foreign readers to gain a deeper understanding of the city. The English version of the book is currently being translated and will be published soon.

In 2017， in order to promote the Belt and Road Initiative and the concept of a community with a shared future for humankind， the China Foreign Languages Publishing Administration （CICG）， with the support of various parties， initiated and implemented the large-scale urban biography project called “Legend of 100 Cities Along the Silk Road.”

Cities are the crystallization of human civilization. Among the countries and regions along the Belt and Road， there are thousands of years of history， diverse cultures， and countless captivating stories. As a significant cultural project in the Chinese publishing industry that serves the Belt and Road Initiative， this project involves the participation of New Star Press and Foreign Languages Press. It aims to deeply interpret the character of cities along the Belt and Road through historical and literary approaches， vividly depict the city’s image， and showcase its cultural heritage. It presents the charm and spirit of cities along the Silk Road， like pearls embedded along the route， in multiple languages. This project seeks to enhance mutual understanding between China and foreign countries， promote cultural exchange， and facilitate mutual learning.

The newly launched Hangzhou Biography： Living in Paradise is an important volume in the “Legend of 100 Cities Along the Silk Road” series. Wang Xufeng chronicles the formation and development of Hangzhou， starting from a large bay and marshland through significant natural and environmental changes and the efforts of generations of residents. This process has transformed Hangzhou into a desirable paradise on earth that people aspire to live in.

Lu Cairong， deputy director of CICG and executive deputy director of the “Legend of 100 Cities Along the Silk Road” Editorial Committee， stated that Hangzhou， both in terms of its geographical features such as the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal， the Zhejiang East Canal， and the Xianxia Ancient Path， as well as its commercial products such as silk， tea， and porcelain， has traditionally been one of the origins and starting points of the Belt and Road， playing an essential role in the communication within the country and between China and abroad. In terms of internet development in the modern era， Hangzhou plays a crucial role as an important starting point for the “Digital Silk Road.”

“As the latest and heftiest work in the ‘Legend of 100 Cities Along the Silk Road’ series， Hangzhou Biography： Living in Paradise sets a new standard for urban biographies with its complete and balanced structure， concise narrative， and coherent logic. The English version of Hangzhou Biography： Living in Paradise is currently being translated and will be published soon. We believe this work will play a more significant role in cultural exchanges and mutual learning between China and foreign countries，” said Lu Cairong.

Ying Xuelin， deputy minister of the Publicity Department of the Hangzhou Municipal Committee of CPC， stated that the inclusion of Hangzhou in the initial publication project of the “Legend of 100 Cities Along the Silk Road” is a rare opportunity and an essential cultural project in the process of building Hangzhou as a world-renowned city. Its publication and distribution will promote a deep understanding of Hangzhou among Chinese and foreign readers and actively contribute to exchanges between Hangzhou and the world.

On the spot， Wang Xufeng also shared the challenges and joys of the writing process. She expressed that writing this biography of Hangzhou， systematically exploring its ancient and modern history， was both an affectionate embrace of her hometown and a systematic tracing and reconstruction of her personal spiritual growth history.

“To condense the essence of such an internationally renowned ancient city into a book of several hundred thousand words， to capture its charm and grandeur， even for someone like me with a background in history， it is not a task to be taken lightly，” Wang Xufeng said. She believes that this book does not focus too much on Hangzhou’s political， economic， and cultural position within the larger context of China. It also does not contain historical evaluations like those found in Sima Qian’s Records of the Grand Historian. Instead， it takes the flow of history as its beginning and end， the order of dynasties as its chapters， and major events and important figures as its focal points， striving to present the history of Hangzhou in a concise and understandable manner.

It is noted that the “Legend of 100 Cities Along the Silk Road” is a publishing project that integrates Chinese and foreign cultures， connecting the past and present. It is both a project that upholds tradition and seeks innovation and a civilization project that moves forward with determination and courage. After six years of development， the series has not only filled a gap in international publishing but also promoted the development of urban biographies， deepened the research and understanding of cities， and strengthened cultural exchanges between countries and regions along the Belt and Road.

This series has now published over 50 Chinese and foreign urban biographies （including Chinese and foreign language editions） in countries such as China， Kazakhstan， Russia， Italy， Argentina， Uzbekistan， and Panama， and its influence continues to expand.

（Zhang Yuhuan）