CICG publishers win awards in 6th Chinese Government Award for Publishing

Winners of the sixth Chinese Government Award for Publishing were announced on March 27. Two books by publishers under China International Communications Group (CICG) won the highest honor of China's publishing industry in the category of book design. 

Sunzi: The Art of War (Chinese-English Collector's Edition)

Foreign Languages Press

The dual cover design of "Sunzi: The Art of War (Chinese-English Collector's Edition)."

The signature of "Sunzi: The Art of War (Chinese-English Collector's Edition)" lies in its dual cover binding and dual opening-to-read structure: The Chinese text follows the tradition of ancient books and is arranged in a vertical layout, read from right to left, while the English text adopts the horizontal left-to-right format. This is not only an innovation in design per se, but also embodies the philosophy of complementarity rooted in "Sunzi: The Art of War." 

Adorned with patterns inspired by ancient military formations, the book uses rice paper pages, traditional folded folios, and thread bindings, lending it an elegant classical charm. Since its publication, the book has served as a major cultural product in numerous important international cultural exchange events. 

Pages of "Sunzi: The Art of War (Chinese-English Collector's Edition)." 

Breathe

Dolphin Books

"Breathe" is a three-volume picture book set centered on the breath. The set presents 36 images in 72 minimalistic illustrations that work in pairs, indicating the change of time in life, nature, and the world. While turning the pages, the readers just need to "breathe in, breathe out" as suggested. The pure artistic expression and open narrative enable the work to transcend boundaries of age, language, and region, making it a playful aesthetic enlightenment for children and a spiritual remedy for adults. 

"Breathe" has won a host of prestigious awards both in China and abroad since its publication in 2023, including China's Most Beautiful Books and the Chen Bochui International Children's Literature Award. It has been translated into English, French, and other languages, and featured at the Bologna Children's Book Fair.

"Breathe" is a three-volume picture book set. 

Pages of "Breathe."