Thailand's crown princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn visited China International Publishing Group (CIPG), China's biggest foreign language publishing house, this Sunday afternoon in Beijing and was greeted by the group's president Zhou Mingwei.

Princess Sirindhorn is a familiar name in China due to her long-standing friendship for the Chinese people and her passion for Chinese culture. In 2007, she published a pictorial record of her railway journey that year through Qinghai and Tibet. Zhou told Her Royal Highness that the book had been a great success in China. Princess Sirindhorn told Zhou that "the Chinese people are our good friends. Whenever I travel abroad and meet with Chinese people they always greet me warmly."

Zhou and Princess Sirindhorn shared fond memories of the magazine The People's Pictorial, which was once published in the Thai language, beginning in the mid-1950s. The princess told Vice Minister Zhou that she had read the magazine for decades. Zhou told Her Royal Highness that a new magazine, China Report, will be published in Thai later this year.

Princess Sirindhorn said she is working on a new book of photographs, "Good Jiangnan," about the Chinese region of that name, south of the Yangtze River, and that she hopes more of her books will be translated and published in China.

Zhou said it would be an honor to help her fulfill her wishes and share her experience and vision, not only with the Chinese people but with the people of the whole world, by translating her books into many languages.

The princess then toured the buildings of China International Publishing Group and inscribed the Chinese characters for "Bridge of Friendship" in her own calligraphy in the exhibition hall of CIPG's publishing history.

Her Royal Highness also showed great interest in several books published by Foreign Languages Press, including "China," "Chinese Seals," and "Life in the Hutongs: The Intricate Alleyways of Beijing."

Princess Sirindhorn is visiting China from Friday to Monday at the invitation of the Chinese government to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. An exhibition of her photographs opened on Saturday at Beijing's Capital Museum and will last for two weeks.

China's top political advisor, Yu Zhengsheng, and Chinese Vice President, Li Yuanchao, met with Princess Sirindhorn and voiced great appreciation for her work in strengthening China-Thailand ties and her contributions to deepening mutual understanding between the two peoples.

Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn has traveled to China dozens of times and visited many regions, provinces and municipalities. By extensively recording her travels in writing, including her personal insights and impressions of the nation and its people, the Princess has become known as something of a Sinologue. In recognition of her well-known expertise in things Chinese and her research on Chinese culture and history, the Chinese government has previously presented the Princess with the "Chinese Language Culture Friendship Award," and the "Understanding and Friendship International Literature Award."

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