The Xinhua Dictionary hits two birds with one stone. (Photo : Wikipedia)
The iconic Xinhua Dictionary has been declared officially as the "world's best-selling book" and the "most popular dictionary" by the Guinness World Records.
Published by The Commercial Press, the Xinhua Dictionary has sold 567 million copies globally as of July 28, 2015. It is China's first contemporary dictionary, making it a common sight on the shelves of almost every household in the country.
The first edition of the book was published by the People's Education Press in 1953, according to the South China Morning Post.
Since 1957, The Commercial Press has been publishing updated copies of the dictionary, the SCMP added.
"Our teams have completed extensive data investigation, collection and examination for these two records, and we are delighted to verify that the Xinhua Dictionary is the most popular dictionary and the best-selling regularly updated book," Guinness' representative Marco Frigatti told China Daily.
President Tan Yue of China Publishing Group believes that the two records show how the Chinese language is influencing the rest of the world.
"China Publishing Group has many time-honored member publishing houses and comprehensively recognized publications, among which The Commercial Press and the Xinhua Dictionary are typical examples," Tan was quoted as saying by China Daily.
"The Most Popular Dictionary and Best-Selling Book record titles themselves are the epitome of Sino-Foreign cultural exchange, showing the increasing international influence of the Chinese language at a micro level," Tan added.
Meanwhile, The Commercial Press president Yu Dianli believes that the said recognitions are expected to pave way for more initiatives and collaborations between international academic groups and the company.
China Publishing Group is the parent company of The Commercial Press. It is the largest publishing company in China with 12 umbrella organizations, including Xinhua Bookstore, Zhonghua Book Company, China Book Import and Export (Group) Corporation and DSX Book Company. It is responsible for the publication and distribution of various contents in the country.
