While searching online catalogues of ancient books collections of several major universities in China, three rare Chinese Orthodox books have been discovered in the rare book collection of Beijing Normal University. These lithographed editions include:
The Orthodox Brotherhood Of Apostles Saints Peter and Paul (Moscow Patriarchate) in Hong Kong is leading a digitization initiative in making these invaluable texts available online at orthodox.cn to be freely distributable to be used among the Chinese Orthodox Faithful, transcribers, researchers and translators as a reference for a modern Chinese Orthodox translation.
These books were published by the Russian Mission (Beiguan) in Beijing during the decade immediately following martyrdom of the Chinese Orthodox Martyrs at the turn of the 20th century. The blood of the martyrs spurred a missionary zeal in rebuilding the Mission. Bishop Innokenty who was the Mission chief blessed the reprinting of many classical Chinese Orthodox text from the previous century with revision in some terminology including changing the term for God from Tianzhu to Shangdi and introducing a number of new translations in the venacular of the time.
The Beijing Normal University library staff have agreed to take digital photos of these three titles consisting of more than 300 pages for 2300 RMB (about 363 USD). If you would like to sponsor or donate towards this initiative, please earmark check for Beiguan book digitization and made payable to "The Orthodox B O A S P and P (Moscow Patriarchate)” and mail to The Orthodox Brotherhood Of Apostles Saints Peter and Paul, #701, 7/F, Arion Commercial Centre, 2-12 Queen's Rd. West, Sheung Wan, HONG KONG. For U.S. tax-deductible receipt, make donation payable to OFASC online or download donation form from http://www.orthodox.cn/ofasc/donate_en.htm.
Upon request, we will also publish at the bottom of online page for each of the digitized text a dedicatory for the good health or in memory of your loved ones.