Encyclopedia of China enters AI era

The inaugural China Encyclopedia Conference, hosted by the Encyclopedia of China Publishing House, took place in Beijing from April 23 to 24, as part of the activities for the country's first National Reading Week after the State Council regulation to promote reading among the public took effect on Feb 1.

The Encyclopedia of China is the country's first and most authoritative comprehensive modern encyclopedia. Launched in 1978 and published by the Encyclopedia of China Publishing House under the China Publishing Group, it stands as a landmark national cultural project.

The latest edition, the third one, pioneered a new approach by prioritizing the online version while creating a concise print edition, establishing a knowledge system with professional, thematic, and general sections. By the end of 2025, the online version had 519,000 entries, and the print version was published in 43 volumes, marking significant progress, according to Yang Muzhi, chief editor of the Encyclopedia of China (Third Edition).