The Commercial Press (Chinese: 商务印书馆有限公司; pinyin: Shāngwù yìnshūguǎn) is the first modern publishing organization in China. The Commercial Press is known for its academic publishing and translation work in humanities and social sciences, as well as the Xinhua Dictionary.[1]
In 1897, 26-year-old Xia Ruifang and three of his friends (including the Bao brothers Bao Xian'en and Bao Xianchang) founded The Commercial Press in Shanghai.[2]: 50 All four were Protestant Christians who received their training at the American Presbyterian Mission Press.[3] The group soon received financial backing and began publishing books such as Bibles.[4][5]
From 1903 to 1914, The Commercial Press operated as a joint venture with Kinkōdō, one of the largest Japanese textbook publishers.[2]: 50 Through the joint venture, The Commercial Press obtained the latest printing technology as well as lantern slides and cinema.[2]: 50-51
From 1903, Zhang Yuanji (张元济, 1867–1959), reacting to China's moves towards a new curriculum, created several textbook and translation series, and from 1904 onwards he launched popular periodicals, such as Dongfang Zazhi (Eastern Miscellany, 1904), Jiaoyu zazhi (The Chinese Education Journal), Xiaoshuo Zazhi (Short Story Magazine, later Fiction Monthly), Xuesheng Zazhi (Student Magazine) and Funü Zazhi (Women's Journal).[6]
In 1914, Xia attempted to buy out a Japanese company that had invested in The Commercial Press. Four days later he was assassinated. There was much speculation as to who was behind the assassination, but no one was ever arrested for the crime.
The Commercial Press acquired film studio equipment and camera from a failed American-owned business in Nanjing in 1917.[2]: 51 The Commercial Press's film production focused on documentaries.[2]: 52 The Commercial Press explicitly sought to domestically produce films as a substitute for foreign imports, which The Commercial Press described as "flippant and mendacious, very harmful to the maintenance of customs and popular sentiment. [Foreign films] frequently satirize inferior conditions in our society, thus providing material for derision."[2]: 52
In 1932, The Commercial Press was bombed by the Imperial Japanese Army during the January 28 Incident. The bombing destroyed its headquarters in Zhabei, Shanghai, and its attached Oriental Library (Dongfang Tushuguan) and its collection of more than 500,000 books,[7] including tens of thousands of rare books.[8][9]
At the turn of the century The Commercial Press became a major publisher of textbooks. Today it is headquartered in Beijing and continues as an active publishing house of Chinese language learning materials including dictionaries, textbooks, pedagogical texts, and a cultural magazine called The World of Chinese.[10]
In 1902, during the Qing dynasty, The Commercial Press was set up with a forward attitude toward both Chinese and Western studies. It became China's first primary education textbook publisher in 1903. It later produced 2,550 secondary school textbooks that became popular in the country. In 1904, it launched the Eastern Miscellany (東方雜誌) with editor-in-chief Du Yaquan (杜亞泉). In 1907, the press moved to a new 80-acre (320,000 m2) plant. Several magazines were launched in the following years: the Education Magazine (教育雜誌) in 1909, Fiction Monthly (小說月報) in 1910, and Youth Magazine (少年雜誌) in 1911.
The Republic of China succeeded the Qing in 1912. In January 1914, the founder of The Commercial Press, Xia Ruifang, was stabbed to death.[11] That same year, The Commercial Press set up a branch in Hong Kong Museum and launched the Students' Magazine (學生雜誌). In 1915, it printed its first dictionary. It set up a branch in Singapore in 1916.
The Commercial Press building after Japanese bombing in 1932
In 1924, The Oriental Library (東方圖書館), one of the largest private libraries in China at the time, opened in Shanghai. In 1929, it published the first set of the 4,000-volume encyclopaedic literary collection Wanyou Wenku.
On 28 January 1932, the January 28 Incident began. On 1 February[12] Japanese aircraft bombed The Commercial Press in conjunction with the Oriental Library. The Imperial Japanese Army would occupy Shanghai the next day. The Commercial Press resumed operations on 1 August 1932.
In 1949, The Commercial Press' operations were relocated away from China after the People's Liberation Army entered Shanghai. In 1954, The Commercial Press' headquarters was moved from Shanghai to Beijing, shifting its focus to academic works published in the West. In 1993, the separate Commercial Press companies in mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia established a joint venture, becoming The Commercial Press International Limited. In 2011, the Beijing office was became a limited liability company (商务印书馆有限公司). When China publishing and Media Holdings Co., Ltd. (中国出版传媒股份有限公司) was founded on 19 December 2011, the newly founded company became the parent company.[13]
Subsidiaries of the Beijing branch: Chinese Editing Center (汉语编辑中心), Academic Editing Center (学术编辑中心), English Editing Room (英语编辑室), Foreign Language Editing Room (外语编辑室), UNESCO Editing Center (教科文编辑中心), Online Publication Center (数字出版中心).
The Commercial Press International Co., Ltd. (商务印书馆国际有限公司): Founded in 1993 by The Commercial Press branches in Beijing, Hong Kong, Taipei, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur.[14]
The World of English Inc. (《英语世界》杂志社有限公司): Founded in 1981.
Dongfang Tushuguan/Oriental Library (東方圖書館): A library founded in 1925, and was later destroyed in 1932.
The Commercial Press (Hong Kong) Limited (商務印書館（香港）有限公司): Founded in 1914 (香港商務印書館/商務印書館香港分館) in Hong Kong as a subsidiary of the Beijing TCP. In 1988-06-10, it was incorporated as The Commercial Press (Hong Kong) Limited (商務印書館（香港）有限公司). When Sino United Publishing (Holdings) Limited was established, it became a subsidiary of SUP.
Commercial Press (HK) Cyberbooks Ltd. (商務印書館（香港）網上書店有限公司): Online bookstore for The Commercial Press (H.K.) Ltd. Founded in 1999-03-18 as CP BooksNet. The site CP1897.com was founded in 2000-04-12 with SUNeVision.
The Commercial Press Hong Kong Printing Factory (商務印書館香港印刷廠): Established in 1924 in Sai Wan, Hong Kong as a printer for TCP's Hong Kong branch. In 1933, it was moved to North Point. In 1980, it was merged with Zhonghua Book Company Hong Kong Printing Factory (中華書局香港印刷廠) and Tae Chien Printing Co. (大千印刷公司) into C & C Joint Printing Co., (H.K.) Ltd. (中華商務聯合印刷（香港）有限公司).
Hong Kong Educational Publishing Company (香港教育圖書公司): Established in 1979 as a textbook and reference publisher.
Bloomsbury Books Limited/Bloomsbury Books Ltd.: In November 2005, The Commercial Press (H.K.) Ltd. acquired Bloomsbury Books as an extension of its professional arm serving the legal and business communities in Hong Kong.[15]
EdFun Limited (同學坊): Established in 2005.
The Commercial Press, Ltd. (臺灣商務印書館股份有限公司): In Sep 1947, TCP's Fuzhou branch manager Ye Youmei entered Taiwan to plan for the branch. In Oct 1947, TCP bought a wooden and brick house in 37 Chongqing South Road 1st Section for the planned Taiwan headquarter. In 1948, the Taiwan branch (商務印書館臺灣分館) began operation. In 1949, the Taiwan branch became an independent entity under the demand from Taiwanese government, and the Chinese name was changed (臺灣商務印書館). In 1950-10-10, the company completed registration.
The Commercial Press (S) Pte. Limited (商務印書館（新）有限公司/商務印書館（新加坡）有限公司): Established in 1916 as the Beijing TCP's Singapore branch. As of 2016, it is a subsidiary of Sino United Publishing (Holdings) Limited.
K. L. Commercial Book Company (M) Sdn. Bhd. (商務印書館（馬）有限公司/商務印書館（馬來西亞）有限公司): Established in 1956 as the Beijing TCP's Malaysia branch. In 1987, K. L. Commercial Book Company (M) Sdn. Bhd. was registered as a limited liability company operating independently. As of 2016, it is a subsidiary of Sino United Publishing (Holdings) Limited.
