A project organized and sponsored by the Royal Norwegian Embassy was formally launched on April 17 in Beijing. The project aims to enrich reading for schoolchildren in China's western provinces with a new source of literature: Norwegian folk tales.

Speakers at the ceremony, held at the Beijing Children's Palace, included visiting Norwegian Minister for Children and Family Affairs, Laila Daavoey; UNICEF's Representative to China, Dr. Christian Voumard; and officials from the Ministry of Education (MOE).

The collection of Norwegian fairy tales collected by Asbjørnsen and Moe was first published in 1841, and has brought great joy to Norwegian children ever since. This year, the Norwegian Embassy in Beijing produced the Chinese translation of the book, and UNICEF China agreed to distribute 2,500 copies to schools and schoolchildren in the underdeveloped western region.

UNICEF is working with MOE in 12 western provinces and the books will be distributed to 500 village schools participating in the UNICEF-assisted project. Another 180 primary schools participating in UNICEF's Distance Education project will also receive copies.

The Distance Education primary schools will develop Internet-based fairy tale discussion groups and share their experiences with other schools, as well as linking up with Norwegian schoolchildren.

Zhong Shujia, a young Chinese diplomat working for the Chinese embassy in Oslo, translated the book.

The fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen and the Brothers Grimm are already well known to Chinese readers. Until now, however, few have discovered the folk tales of Norway.

The tales in this collection were passed down through the generations by word-of-mouth in the Norwegian countryside. They were not written down until the 19th century, when Peder Christian Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe visited hundreds of villages, transcribing the stories as told to them by local people.

The collection was first published in 1841 and today is regarded as one of Norway's national treasures. The tales of fearsome trolls and powerful kings, of beautiful princesses and crafty heroes, have had their impact on generations of Norwegians and are still widely read.

The Norwegian Embassy organized the launch of the book with UNICEF and the Beijing Children's Palace to coincide with the visit to China by the Norwegian Minister of Children and Family Affairs Laila Daavoey.

During the ceremony, Ms. Daavoey formally handed the books over to UNICEF. An actor from the Central Academy of Drama gave a performance based on a selection of the folk tales, with the help of a primary school student who was chosen randomly from about 100 who attended the event.

(China.org.cn April 18, 2005)