Rediscover 'Book of Songs' with watercolor illustrations

A poem containing imagery of a Chinese trumpet creeper is illustrated by an elegant watercolor by Hosoi Jun, a Confucian physician from Japan. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The official announcement from the Shanghai Ancient Books caused quite a stir among culture lovers.

"Seeing the illustrations while reading the poems makes the whole experience like time traveling," Lishang Tumi, a Weibo user, said. "I can feel myself walking through the scenes written thousands of years ago."

The book will hit the shelves in mid-August, before which readers can place orders on Yitiao, a new media lifestyle company.