Editing Detective fiction (section)

=== China ===
In 1896, a significant literary phenomenon unfolded in China with the rapid translation and serialization of four Sherlock Holmes stories in Shiwu bao (The Progress), a periodical established by the prominent reformist Liang Qichao. These translations, undertaken by Zhang Kunde, marked an early introduction of Western detective fiction to Chinese readers, reflecting the broader intellectual currents of the time. The first of these stories, The Naval Treaty, was published in three installments between August and September 1896. Notably, the story was given a culturally adapted title, The English Bao and the Case of the Stolen Secret Treaty (Ying Bao tankan daomi yuean), which reimagined Sherlock Holmes as a "pure magistrate," a figure deeply rooted in Chinese tradition. This transformation not only localized the character for Chinese audiences but also signaled the translators' intent to align the narrative with indigenous cultural and ideological frameworks.<ref name=":7">{{Cite book|title=Storia del Giallo in Cina. Dai casi giudiziari al romanzo di crimine.|last=Benedetti|first=Lavinia|publisher=Aracne Press|year=2017|isbn=978-88-255-0687-7}}</ref>

Following The Naval Treaty, other Sherlock Holmes stories were similarly translated and serialized. The Crooked Man appeared between October and November 1896, A Case of Identity was published from March to April 1897, and The Final Problem was serialized between April and May of the same year. These translations were part of a broader effort to introduce Western literary works to China, often with a focus on themes that resonated with the reformist agenda of the period. The popularity of Sherlock Holmes paved the way for the translation of other seminal works of Western detective fiction. Among these were L’affaire Lerouge by Émile Gaboriau (1832–1873), published in 1903, John Thorndyke's Cases by Richard Austin Freeman (1862–1943), which appeared in 1911, and Arsène Lupin, Gentleman Burglar by Maurice Leblanc (1864–1941), translated in 1914. These works collectively contributed to the growing interest in detective fiction as a genre that could both entertain and provoke critical reflection on societal issues<ref name=":7"/>..

Among the translators of this era, Zhou Guisheng (1863–1926) stands out as a pivotal figure. Specializing in detective and science fiction, Zhou partially translated the French novel Margot la Balafrée by Fortuné du Boisgobey (1821–1891). In 1906, he founded the first Chinese Translators' Association (Yishu jiaotong gonghui) in Shanghai, an institution that played a crucial role in fostering literary exchange. Zhou's translation of Margot la Balafrée was notable for its extensive annotations and commentaries, which were appended to most chapters. These commentaries, following a tradition cherished by Chinese literati, sought to elucidate the moral and social implications of the narrative. However, unlike earlier practices that emphasized Confucian virtues, Zhou's commentaries critiqued the contemporary political system, often employing biting irony to mock the "antiquated" customs of imperial China. It is also noteworthy that among the commentators on Zhou's translation was Wu Jianren (1866–1910), better known by his pseudonym Wu Woyao, a celebrated writer of the time. Wu's involvement underscores the collaborative nature of this intellectual endeavor and highlights the role of detective fiction as a medium for social and political critique. Through their translations and commentaries, figures like Zhou Guisheng and Wu Jianren not only introduced Chinese readers to Western literary traditions but also used these works as a lens to examine and challenge the pressing issues of their own society.<ref name=":7"/>

Through China's Golden Age of [[crime fiction]] (1900–1949), translations of Western classics, and native Chinese detective fictions<ref name=":6">{{Cite book|title=Chinese Justice, the Fiction: Law and Literature in Modern China|last=Kinkley|first=Jeffrey C.|publisher=Stanford University Press|year=2000|isbn=978-0804734431}}</ref> circulated within the country.

[[Cheng Xiaoqing]] had first encountered Sir [[Arthur Conan Doyle]]'s highly popular stories as an adolescent. In the ensuing years, he played a major role in rendering them first into classical and later into [[vernacular Chinese]]. Cheng Xiaoqing, who had been self-taught in English from the age of 16, collaborated with a group of friends to translate the complete series of Sherlock Holmes stories into Chinese. Published in 1916 under the title Fuermosi tan’an (The Investigative Cases of Sherlock Holmes) by the Zhonghua shuju publishing house, this translation marked a significant milestone in the introduction of Western detective fiction to Chinese readers.<ref name=":7"/>

Cheng Xiaoqing's translated works from Conan Doyle introduced China to a new type of narrative style. Western detective fiction that was translated often emphasized “individuality, equality, and the importance of knowledge”,<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ping |first=Zhang |date=2005-10-13 |title=Sherlock Holmes in China |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/09076760508668979 |journal=Perspectives |volume=13 |issue=2 |pages=106–114 |doi=10.1080/09076760508668979 |s2cid=144094471 |issn=0907-676X}}</ref> appealing to China that it was the time for opening their eyes to the rest of the world.

This style began China's interest in popular [[crime fiction]], and is what drove Cheng Xiaoqing to write his own [[crime fiction]] novel, ''Sherlock in Shanghai''.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book|title=Sherlock in Shanghai : stories of crime and detection|last1=Cheng|first1=Xiaoqing|date=2007|publisher=University of Hawai'i Press|translator-last=Wong|translator-first=Timothy C.|isbn=978-0824864286|location=Honolulu|oclc=256676525}}</ref> In the late 1910s, Cheng began writing detective fiction inspired by Conan Doyle's style, with Bao as the Watson-like narrator; a rare instance of such a direct appropriation from foreign fiction.<ref name=":3" /> Famed as the “Oriental Sherlock Holmes”,<ref name=":6" /> the duo Huo Sang and Bao Lang become counterparts to [[Arthur Conan Doyle|Doyle]]'s [[Sherlock Holmes]] and [[Dr. Watson]] characters.

His 1914 short story Dengguang renying (灯光人影), published in the journal Xinwen bao (新闻报), is often credited as the first true Chinese detective story. This work laid the foundation for a series of stories centered on the character Huo Sang, a detective whose brilliance and methods bore a striking resemblance to those of Sherlock Holmes. Indeed, the parallels between the two detectives are unmistakable: not only do their names share the same initials, but both characters are defined by their extraordinary intellect, their reliance on abductive reasoning, and their unwavering skepticism toward seemingly supernatural phenomena. Huo Sang, much like his Western counterpart, became a cultural icon, embodying the rational, analytical spirit of the modern detective. Cheng Xiaoqing's creation of Huo Sang not only signaled the birth of a distinctly Chinese detective genre but also reflected the broader intellectual currents of the time, as Chinese writers sought to adapt Western literary forms to address local concerns and sensibilities.<ref name=":7"/>