The Chinese classic novelsWater Margin, Romance of Three Kingdoms, Journey to the WestandDream of the Red Chamber.[File photo]

Malaysia will soon have its own version of China's Dream of the Red Chamber, by Cao Xueqin of the Qing Dynasty (1644 to 1912), following the recent publication of a Malay version of three other classics, -Water Margin, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and Journey to the West-- according to Wu Hengcan, the head of the Malaysian Han Culture Center, in the city of Kuala Lumpur.

Wu explained, "Dream of the Red Chamberwas is the most difficult one to translate, with so many characters, poems, and songs with a rich, subtle meaning, but, 40 of the 120 chapters have been translated over the past five years and the whole thing is likely to be finished in three years."

The books that have been published have got a good reception in Malaysia, with its language and publication bureau, in commenting on Journey to the West, calling it a "trans-space, trans-national, trans-religious masterpiece filled with imagination".

Wu went on to say that he hopes the translated versions can help increase cultural exchanges and cooperation between Chinese Malaysians and the Malaysians themselves.