New look at cultural icons

A team of contemporary experts is taking fresh pens to some of China's leading lights in a new biography series, Mei Jia reports.

A team of select literary professionals has been invited to refresh China's cultural history by contributing to a new series of biographies. Writers Publishing House plans 120 books published in Chinese - the first 10 just released - to give a fresh, contemporary perspective on more than 120 masters of culture. The team of writers, researchers and biographers began the ambitious publishing project 21 months ago, highlighting key cultural figures who lived in eras ranging from the 4th century BC to the late 20th century. The series will take another five years to complete.

He Jianming, director of the project's editorial committee, says the committee selected the list of masters and their respective biographers with great care. The publishers even organized two experts' teams - one of history academics and the other literature critics - to evaluate the works and ensure that they're factual, original and fun to read.