Zhonghua Book Company, formerly spelled Chunghwa or Chung-hua Shu-chü, and sometimes translated as Zhonghua Publishing House, are Chinese publishing houses that focuses on the humanities, and especially on classical Chinese works. Currently it has split into a few separate companies. The main branch is headquarters in Beijing, while Chung Hwa Book is headquartered in Hong Kong. The Taiwan branch is headquartered in Taipei.
History
The company was founded in Shanghai in 1912-01-01 as the Chung Hwa Book Co., Ltd. by Lufei Kui, a former manager of the Commercial Press, another Shanghai-based publisher that had been established in 1897. From the year of its foundation to the birth of the People's Republic of China in 1949, it published about 5,700 titles, excluding reprints. Zhonghua's punctuated editions of the Twenty-Four Histories have become standard. The publishing project, which started in 1959 on a suggestion by Mao Zedong, was completed in 1977. A revised edition of the entire set integrating the most recent scholarship on the Histories is being prepared. On December 19, 2011, The China Publishing and Media Holdings Company was founded to become the parent company of the Zhonghua Book Company.
Subsidiaries
Shanghai Zhonghua Printing Co., Ltd. : Originally established in 1912 as Chung Hwa Book Co., Shanghai. In 1966, it was renamed to Zhonghua Printing Factory. In 1988, it was changed into a limited liability company according to the Company Law of the People's Republic of China in 1998. In 2008, Shanghai Zhonghua Printing Co., Ltd. was moved to Qingpu Industrial Park.
Former subsidiaries
Chung Hwa Book Company, Limited : Originally established in 1945 in Taipei, Taiwan. In August 1949, the Chung Hwa Book's Shanghai headquarter was relocated to Taipei. Chung Hwa Book Company, Limited was registered in Hong Kong in 1949-01-20. The Taiwan headquarters was officially separated from the Chung Hwa Book operations in PRC in 1950-10-08. The Taiwanese company was later registered in 1951 in Taiwan, and renamed to Chung Hwa Book Company, Limited in 1952-09-19. The Hong Kong registration was renewed in 1984-08-31 under the old registered names, but with location set to People's Republic of China.
Chung Hwa Book Company Limited : Originally established in 1927 in Queen's Road Central, Hong Kong. In 1988, it was renamed to Chung Hwa Book Company Limited and re-registered as a subsidiary of Sino United Publishing Limited, with incorporation on 1988-06-16.
Chung Hwa Book Company Pte Limited : Originally established in 1923, it was incorporated on 27 October 1989 as a limited private company. As of 2016, it is a subsidiary of Sino United Publishing Limited.
Shanghai Lexicographical Publishing House : Founded in August 1958 as Ci Hai Editing Institute under the Beijing company. In January 1978, it was renamed to the current name. As of 2016, it is owned by Shanghai Century Publishing Co., Ltd.
? : Originally established in 1933 in Pak Tai Street, To Kwa Wan, Kowloon as a printer for CHBC's Hong Kong branch. In 1980, it was merged with ? and ? into C & C Joint Printing Co., Ltd..
