On April 23rd, the institute commemorates the fourth centenary of the death of Cervantes and the World Book Day with a special program that includes the presentation of a publication dedicated to the Chinese translations of Don Quixote.
In 1605, the printing house of Juan de la Cuesta published the first part of The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha. Since then, the spirit and letter of Alonso Quijano and his loyal squire Sancho went looking for adventure, becoming protagonists of one of the most influential novels of world-wide literature. In this context, and on the eve of the commemoration of the fourth centenary of the death of Miguel de Cervantes, it becomes inevitable to remember his prescient nod to China in the second part of Don Quixote: the commitment of a distant emperor by hiring him as a "rector of a Spanish language school".
Cervantes and his work were introduced in China less than a hundred years ago, in the early XX century, much later than in other countries. But its spread has been much faster: according to the Spanish scholar and bibliophile Liu Ruiming, until now 400 books related to Cervantes have been published in China.
On April 23rd, during the World Book and Copyright Date, Cervantes Institute commemorates the fourth centenary of the death of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (1547-1616) with a well-deserved tribute to his enormous influence in China. For this reason, the Library of Beijing Cervantes Institute has organized the exhibition The paper knight, which includes 110 books about Don Quixote in Chinese, from the private collection of Liu Ruiming, which will remain in the Antonio Machado library during next months.
The exhibition, which will begin at 11:30 hours, is divided into four sections, with editions for all tastes, for cervantistas, for bibliophiles, for young students and children. A Quixote for every reader, from the popular paperback to present works on especially valuable scoop, either for its illustrations or being first editions. That day will be presented in premiere in the presence of the collector Liu, the illustrated catalog that includes reviews of Don Quixote translations into Chinese, present in the sample.
During this day, the Library Antonio Machado will offer two months of free service to all people who renew or purchase the membership card, and a book to users who use the service. In addition, you can attend the broadcast of the XX edition of the Continuous Reading of Don Quixote, organized by the Circulo de Bellas Artes in Madrid, which this year has the participation from Beijing of tjr writer Javier Cercas and Spanish scholar Chen Zhongyi, author of an anthology of the Golden Age.
All users visiting the center will receive a rose, free Spanish classes for beginners will be organized, and at 16:00 it will be screened the film Cervantes’ hens, as part of the tribute to the great universal writer. That day, the institute does not forget the little ones who will have fun playing with Don Quixote at Peque-Cervantes workshop, from 14:00 to 15:30 hours.
On April 23rd, the institute commemorates the fourth centenary of the death of Cervantes and the World Book Day with a special program that includes the presentation of a publication dedicated to the Chinese translations of Don Quixote.
