“A Great Cultural Wall” in the face of foreign cultural and intellectual influences? What is behind this online encyclopedia which should be launched in 2024? A cultural resistance to Wikipedia?
It is on the site of the very serious Chinese Academy of Sciences. Yang Muzhi published an article to present his project. It would be for the good of public opinion. China must have its own view of the world through the thousands of articles in an online encyclopedia.
Professional Writers Dice
Unlike Wikipedia, which uses the services of volunteers and whose online content is constantly revised, the new project will be entirely written by professionals.
A pharaonic Chinese-style project, since nearly 20,000 academics have already been recruited to participate in the project, which will have more than 300,000 entries when it is launched next year.
Going beyond the Encyclopaedia Britannica?
Yang Muzhi presents her project as a rival of Wikipedia and, even, of the mythical Encyclopaedia Britannica.
But for what purpose? It is a question of presenting the “Chinese characteristics” of this resurgent civilization. This online encyclopedia will be a symbol of the country’s cultural and technological development. It can only increase its international influence. The project will be overseen by the Chinese Publishing Group, a state-owned enterprise. Know that Wikipedia is authorized in China… The competition will start in 2024. Indeed, China has more than 700 million Internet users.
