04/09/2026
Interview: Chinese literary classics can help build cultural bridge between China, the Netherlands, says Dutch publisher
Chinese literary classics carry profound reflections on philosophy, culture and human life, offering Dutch readers a different perspective on the modern world. Bringing these works to Dutch readers through high-quality translation can help build a cultural bridge between China and the Netherlands, a Dutch publisher said.
"We believe that having knowledge of your deeper cultural traditions is still important for understanding who you are today," Sander van Vlerken, publisher of Athenaeum Publishing House, told Xinhua in a recent interview.
Founded in September 1962, Athenaeum has focused on publishing classical literature and non-fiction from different periods and culture. For many years, its list was dominated by the classics of ancient Greece and Rome. About 15 years ago, the publishing house broadened its scope to include classics from other parts of the world.
"Culture is more than just ancient Europe," van Vlerken said. "We expanded our list, and Asian literature, including literature from China and other countries, also became important to us."
Chinese literature subsequently became part of this broader effort to introduce different cultural traditions to Dutch readers. One of the publishing house's most ambitious projects was its Dutch edition of Dream of the Red Chamber, one of China's four great classical novels. The translation, produced by three sinologists, took around 13 years to complete.
"Dream of the Red Chamber was a huge success in every aspect, not only in terms of sales, but also in terms of reviews and the feedback we received from booksellers, press and readers," van Vlerken said.
The response also extended beyond the conventional book market. Cultural events were organized around the novel, including a gathering at a Chinese teahouse in Amsterdam that explored the role of music in the work.
For van Vlerken, the experience demonstrated that a Chinese classic can reach Dutch readers not only as a literary work, but also as a gateway to the country's history, philosophy, art and cultural traditions.
Athenaeum has also published a Dutch translation of Sunzi's The Art of War last year, translated directly from Chinese by Dutch translator Mark Leenhouts. Van Vlerken said the decision to publish the work was particularly relevant at a time when armed conflicts have once again emerged in different parts of the world.
"One reason we decided to translate something from Chinese at this particular moment is that, in an age when there are wars again in the world, we can go back to the classics and see how people in ancient times thought about war," he said.
In Athenaeum's introduction to The Art of War, the work is described as one of the most famous texts in the Chinese literary tradition and one of the world's best-known classical treatises on warfare. Its emphasis on avoiding warfare and minimizing the waste of lives and resources offers a perspective that can still resonate with contemporary readers.
The choice of which Chinese classics to translate, however, is not simply a matter of selecting famous works. Van Vlerken said Athenaeum considers both the cultural significance and literary quality of a book.
"It has to be deeply grounded in the literary, philosophical or cultural tradition of the country it comes from, and it also has to have the literary quality that goes with that," he said.
Translation itself is central to this process. Translating a Chinese classic into Dutch involves far more than transferring words from one language to another. Historical references, philosophical concepts, poetry, symbolism and cultural assumptions often require interpretation and contextualization.
"We work very closely with many of our translators," van Vlerken said. "In some cases, we treat them almost as authors-as real creators-because they are so familiar with the work."
The translator therefore becomes more than a linguistic intermediary. By making a work understandable and meaningful to readers from another cultural background, the translator helps build a bridge between two literary traditions.
Looking ahead, Athenaeum plans to continue publishing Chinese literature on a small but sustained scale. Future projects include Chinese poetry featuring works by Li Bai and Du Fu, as well as an anthology of Chinese poetry.
"We take small, but significant steps," van Vlerken said, "as I think these are the most durable ones, so will have a more long-lasting effect.
