Er Gang: Climbing the High Tower Alone

1. Begin by browsing the paintings to take in their overall atmosphere and brushwork charm, then read the inscriptions and essays closely to appreciate how image and text illuminate each other.
2. Treat the reading process as a slow walk; there is no need to rush. Linger before a particular painting or passage to savor its overtones.
3. Read with some knowledge of traditional Chinese culture (such as poetry and philosophy) to gain a deeper understanding of the cultural metaphors and spiritual orientation in the works.

Northern Literature and Art Publishing House focuses on contemporary and modern literary and artistic works, literary theory, and translations of foreign literature, while also covering categories such as history, popular science, Eastern philosophy, and world classics. Its collection includes 737 titles, with representative publications ranging from traditional Chinese classics such as Records of the Grand Historian, The Exploitation of the Works of Nature, and The Analects to foreign literary works including the complete classic plays of Shakespeare, Balzac's Old Goriot and Eugénie Grandet (in celebrated translations by Fu Lei), and The Complete Sherlock Holmes. Its author resources span classical figures such as Sima Qian, Song Yingxing, and Confucius, foreign writers such as Shakespeare and Balzac, and translators such as Zhu Shenghao and Fu Lei. The press combines the transmission of classics with an orientation toward general reading, developing a distinctive profile in both the editing of traditional texts and the translation of foreign literature. Public information is limited, so the above emphasizes the publishing profile reflected in the books held in the collection.