Xuemo’s Works Debut at Indonesia International Home Expo

Xuemo’s Works Debut at Indonesia International Home Expo

A volunteer team led by Ms. Liu Yundi (members: Chen Bo, Liu Suo, Li Zexian, Zhou Qian) showcased over 180 sets of Xuemo’s works in Chinese and English at Jakarta DeFu Expo, Indonesia’s largest comprehensive home furnishings exhibition. As the first Chinese literary brand to participate in this exhibition, Xuemo’s writings—celebrated for their profound exploration of civilizational dialogue and the transcendence of human nature—resonated deeply with Indonesia’s multicultural landscape, becoming a vital vehicle for China-Indonesia people-to-people cultural exchange.

I. The Dual Value of Cultural Dissemination

The exhibition booth generated multi-layered engagement:

 ● Cultural Heritage Fulfillment: Chinese original editions addressed the cultural nostalgia and literary needs of the older Indonesian-Chinese diaspora.

 ● Language Learning Imperative: English translations served as a bilingual bridge for younger overseas Chinese learning about Chinese culture.

 ● Local Cultural Interaction: Indigenous Indonesian communities engaged deeply with Chinese philosophical thought through the texts.

 ● Chinese Enterprise Consensus: Chinese exhibitors hailed the initiative as an “exemplary model of cultural export,” highlighting the power of grassroots diplomacy.

II. Core Works Spark Buying Frenzy

Featured titles became cultural phenomena:

● The World is a Reflection of the Mind (English translation): Deconstructs modern anxieties through Eastern wisdom, offering a path to enlightenment.

 ● Selected Stories by Xuemo (English translation): Presents majestic narratives of China’s Western regions, showcasing the eternal endurance of human dignity.

 ● Eternal Love (English translation): A healing book that helps readers overcome depression and fear of illness.

 ● Market Response: By the third day, all 65 copies of these three titles were completely sold out.

III. Academic Collaboration Builds Long-Term Mechanisms

The volunteer team concurrently conducted visits to high-level cultural institutions:

 1. Integration into Education Systems:

 ● Visited the Chinese Language and Culture Department at the University of Indonesia (Indonesia’s top university) and the Chinese Education Department at Jakarta State University (renowned as Indonesia’s “Teacher Cradle”). Department Chairs expressed strong interest in deepening cooperation.

2. Establishing Cultural Bases:

 ● Donated collections to the Jakarta Zhongshan Library (the only dedicated Chinese-language library locally) and the BLCI Chinese Education Institution, laying the foundation for sustained dissemination.

IV. Paradigm Significance of Grassroots Diplomacy

Curator Liu Yundi emphasized: “So-called cultural export is never a grand slogan, but every book handed out, every time we say ‘This is our story,’ it is a group of people holding fast to their original aspiration—planting seeds of culture in every possible corner, patiently waiting for them to take root and sprout.” Professor Hudiyekti from Jakarta State University commented: “These works build a ladder for understanding Chinese culture and its spiritual world.”

Acknowledgments:

Special thanks to Guangzhou Fubang Zhiyue Book Club for its significant support and to friends from all walks of life in Jakarta for their invaluable assistance.

About Author Xuemo:

Xuemo, born in 1963 as Chen Kaihong, is a renowned writer from Gansu, China. He has written over 70 books, published in more than 200 editions, with translations available in over 20 languages, including English, French, German, Korean, Russian, and Spanish.

Xuemo is one of China’s most influential contemporary writers. His audiobook Buddha’s Wisdom: Xuemo Interprets the Diamond Sutra on the Himalaya platform, has been played over 35 million times and remains a top-ranking program. His series What’s on Laozi’s mind: Xuemo Interprets Dao De Jing has sold nearly one million copies in China.

Since 2019, his works have been featured in independent booths at major international book fairs and film festivals in Germany, London, the United States, and across Asia. In 2022, he topped the International Media Spotlight List at the Frankfurt Book Fair, drawing more attention than the Guest of Honor, Spain. This achievement was hailed as one of the most remarkable and memorable events of the Frankfurt Book Fair2022.

Notably, more than ten of his works have been translated by Howard Goldblatt and Sylvia Li-chun Lin, the distinguished translators of Nobel Prize–winning literature.Research centers devoted to his work have been established at Ningbo University and Central South University.

Xuemo’s novel Into the Desert won the 2022 Excellent Translation Award by the China International Communications Group (CICG), the 2024 NYC Big Book Award for Women’s Fiction and the 2024 Independent Press Award for Literary Fiction. His novel Curses of the Kingdom of Xixia won the 2024 NYC Big Book Award for World Literature. The novel Wild Fox Ridge won the 2024 International Impact Book Award and the 2025 NYC Big Book Award, and was honored with the 2025 International Book Awards.He has been nominated three times for the Mao Dun Literature Prize and has won the Dunhuang Literature and Art Award six consecutive times.

The e-book editions of Desert Rites, Desert Hunters, White Tiger Pass,Love Letters from the Goddess and Eternal Love have repeatedly ranked No. 1 on Amazon’s bestseller lists.

Contributor: Li Zexian

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