The beginning of the publishing giant Yilin Press was rather small scale.

In 1979, after at least 15 years when most literature from outside of China would have to be pirated, and read and circulated underground, Translations, a magazine of foreign literature in Chinese translation, arrived.

"At that time, the focus was on popular fiction," the company's assistant president Shirley Xie says.

"The inaugural issue contained the Chinese version of Agatha Christie's suspense thriller Death on the Nile. The philosophy was 'to open the window'."

Translations was an instant success. The circulation figures soon reached a jaw-dropping 700,000. The magazine became the flagship publication of what would later grow into the Yilin brand.

Subsequently, the magazine featured sci-fi writer Michael Crichton (of Jurassic Park fame) and crime thriller bestseller Sidney Sheldon.

"It's only in recent years that the magazine has taken on a literary bent," Xie says.

The last issue, for example, is dedicated to Korean literature. Author Ku Hyo-seo's novella, Rhapsody in Berlin, forms the centerpiece. Others featured are Young Kong-Ji (The Correct Way of Getting Along with People) and Kim Young-ha (Moving Home).

An edition on Korean literature is a natural progression after issues on Russian and French literatures, Xie says. The idea was to focus on Korean literature other than romantic novels - a huge favorite with Chinese readers.

"Korean literature is a poly-system featuring different writing practices, controversial social values and contradictory ideology," Xie says.

Every edition contains a package of writing on a theme, focusing on a genre, an author or a culture.

"We usually run pieces of different lengths and an academic article outlining the background," she says.

The bimonthly magazine's latest edition, released on Jan 1, 2012, looks at environmental protection and bio-terrorism. The highlight is Mark Nykanen's sci-fi thriller Primitive.

Xie believes the piece, "will give Chinese readers a different picture of the terrorist act, throwing them into a moral dilemma".

At the end of the day, the idea is to showcase new literatures coming out of the world, and balance the popular with the enlightening.