Recently, the 13th New Reading China Children’s Book List (2025) was grandly unveiled in Beijing. Growing Up in Pingyao (3-volume series) has been successfully named to its “100 Best Books” list in recognition of its outstanding original quality and profound cultural value! Officially released in July 2025, this series was co-published by WHITR-AP Shanghai, the College of Architecture and Urban Planning (CAUP) at Tongji University, Shanghai Tongji Urban Planning and Design Institute Co., Ltd., Yishao Culture (Shanghai), and the World Publishing Xi'an Co., Ltd.. The picture books interpret a World Heritage site from a child’s perspective, allowing the cultural DNA of the thousand-year-old city to take root in young hearts and minds. This honor represents a high recognition of both the books’ quality and their value in promoting cultural heritage.

100 Best Books of the 2025 New Reading China Children’s Book List (Partial List)

An Authoritative List: A Premier Barometer of Chinese Children’s Books

The “New Reading China Children‘s Book List” (formerly known as the “China Children’s Book List”) was established in 2012 by the renowned educator, Professor Zhu Yongxin, a National Spokesperson for Nationwide Reading and a laureate of the IBBY-iRead Outstanding Reading Promoter Award and the Yidan Prize for Education Development. Guided by the principle of “Selecting the Most Beautiful Books for the Most Beautiful Childhood”, the list has always remained public-spirited, impartial, and authoritative, never charging any entry fees throughout the entire evaluation process. After more than a decade of development, it has become one of the most credible and influential authorities on children’s literature in China, widely recognized as a definitive barometer in publishing, education, and library circles.

This year’s selection process was methodical and rigorous. It was open to simplified-Chinese children’s books published that year and submitted by publishers nationwide, covering multiple categories including picture books, popular science, and children’s literature. Submitted titles comprised over 70% original works. The evaluation integrated entries from over 100 publishing houses, more than 20 industry book lists, and recommendations from judges. After multiple rounds of strict screening and review, titles that did not meet the criteria for age-appropriateness, content quality, or originality were accurately eliminated. Finally, a top-tier jury panel composed of children’s literature researchers, critics, publishers, reading promoters, education experts, and mainstream media representatives conducted a comprehensive assessment based on five key dimensions: thematic depth, artistry, child-appropriateness, cultural value, and reading promotion value. From a total of 1,461 entries, 100 high-quality children’s books were selected, representing the year’s finest achievements in Chinese children’s publishing.

Growing Up in Pingyao (3-volume series)

Original Ingenuity: Decoding World Heritage Through a Child’s Eyes

Growing Up in Pingyao (3-volume series) is the first original heritage story picture books in China that focuses on interpreting the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the Ancient City of Pingyao. With the mission of “bringing heritage into childhood,” the series was meticulously crafted over five years, going through co-creation camps, expert consultations, and multiple rounds of revisions. Departing from the expository narrative often found in traditional history books or encyclopedias, the series adopts an immersive storytelling approach, successfully filling the gap in youth heritage popularization byweaving together heritage knowledge and coming-of-age stories within a single dual-track narrative. With its exquisite, heartwarming illustrations and tender, sincere words, this original series is both informative and readable, making it ideal for parent-child reading and independent reading by primary school students.

Centering on the three core OUV criteria of the Ancient City of Pingyao—“an exceptional example of Han Chinese urban planning and architecture”, “a significant testament to the development of Chinese finance” and “a complete panorama of cultural, economic, social and religious development”—the series features young Pingyao protagonists from different eras. Through three stories, Pounding the Night Watch with Grandpa, An Apprentice in a Piaohao, and Let‘s Go to the Temple Fair, it naturally integrates the wisdom of city planning, Shanxi merchant culture, and full spectrum of urban folk life with the children’s personal journeys. The stories lead young readers across time, allowing them to experience the profound depth and enduring vitality of Chinese civilization through vivid scenes of everyday life. Specialized knowledge is organically woven into the stories in a way that sparks children’s interest and aligns with their cognitive development, enabling them to easily understand the ancient city and develop a love for traditional culture. 

OUV of the Ancient City of Pingyao

Criterion (ii): The townscape of Ancient City of Ping Yao excellently reflects the evolution of architectural styles and town planning in Imperial China over five centuries with contributions from different ethnicities and other parts of China.

Criterion (iii): The Ancient City of Ping Yao was a financial center in China from the 19th century to the early 20th century. The business shops and traditional dwellings in the city are historical witnesses to the economic prosperity of the Ancient City of Ping Yao in this period.

Criterion (iv): The Ancient City of Ping Yao is an outstanding example of the Han Chinese city of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (14th-20th centuries) that has retained all its features to an exceptional degree.

On December 3, 1997, at its 21st session held in Naples, Italy, the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO formally voted to inscribe Pingyao Ancient City, along with Shuanglin Temple and Zhengguo Temple, onto the World Heritage List.

©️Source：https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/812/

Both the creative process and the collaborative model behind the Pingyao picture books represent an innovative and significant exploration. As the renowned picture book researcher, senior editor, and special consultant for this series, Mr. Fei Jia, noted, this is a “picture book that takes on a genuine challenge”.

Book Pages of Pounding the Night Watch with Grandpa

Book Pages of An Apprentice in a Piaohao

Book Pages of Let‘s Go to the Temple Fair

Cultural Inheritance: Planting the Seeds of Heritage Protection in Young Hearts

The Pingyao picture book project is a vivid embodiment of the latest trends in heritage conservation—a shift from expert-led initiatives to broad public engagement, and from the preservation of physical structures to people-centered sustainable development. Growing Up in Pingyao, through its innovative fusion of World Heritage and children’s picture books, has successfully bridged the fields of heritage education and children’s publishing. By conveying the principles of heritage conservation and the best of traditional Chinese culture, it helps young readers build cultural identity and confidence through reading, allowing the seeds of heritage protection to take root in their hearts and minds.

Moving forward, the creative team will use this recognition as a new starting point. Through a diverse range of activities, including book-sharing events and study tours in the Ancient City of Pingyao, we will continue to promote the picture books and the heritage culture they embody. Our goal is to accompany more children on a journey to encounter Pingyao and understand China through reading, so that the World Heritage truly lives in the present, enters young hearts, and is passed on from generation to generation.

— Related News —

回顾 | 以绘本为桥，传古城文脉：《我在平遥长大》全年公众推广足迹回望

新闻｜《我在平遥长大》遗产故事绘本创作分享会在上海书展期间圆满举行

出版｜首个平遥古城故事绘本系列《我在平遥长大》正式发行

活动回顾｜“我在平遥长大”世界文化遗产系列原创故事绘本正式发布

Contributed by｜Liu Zhen

Translated by｜Zhang Yidan (Intern)

Photo by｜World Publishing Xi'an Co., Ltd.

Designed by｜Liu Zhen

Reviewed by｜Shao Yong