NANJING, China — A huge new printing plant opened May 18 in suburban Nanjing. It is one of the largest facilities in the world dedicated to printing Bibles. Amity Printing Company was established to print Bibles for mainland China, though it does provide printing services for some overseas Bible societies, using its excess capacity. To date, it has printed 55 million Bibles, 43 million of which have been distributed on the mainland.
Bibles have been printed and distributed in China since the early 1980s, under the auspices of the China Christian Council. It initially contracted with different printers, but later developed a joint venture with the United Bible Societies, an international association of national Bible societies, of which the American Bible Society is a member.
The first Bibles were printed in 1987, with 500,000 completed in 1988, the first full year of operation.
Since that time, more than 43 million Bibles have been printed for distribution in mainland China, including versions in Braille and several Chinese ethnic minority languages. The most common Bible is a black hard-cover which retails for not more than $2, but the variety of styles and versions has multiplied in recent years. Bibles in Chinese are available in a wide variety of sizes, from pocketbook to large print. Bilingual Bibles are available, employing the Chinese Union version and one of the following English versions: NIV, NRSV and ESV, plus a full Bible and a paperback New Testament in Today's English Version and Today's Chinese Version.
The Bibles are printed on paper supplied by the UBS to the China Christian Council. Originally, the special Bible paper had to be imported, but now quality paper can be purchased within China, saving shipping and other costs, releasing funds for printing more Bibles.
When I first visited the Amity printing plant, in 1988, the building was in the middle of rice fields and stood out on the horizon. When I next visited, in 1998, I could hardly locate the building it was so surrounded by urban development. The plant expanded several times in order to meet rising demand and increased capacity, but they finally ran out of room, and the area had developed so fast that it was obvious a new location and larger facilities would have to be obtained.
The official groundbreaking ceremony for the new plant took place as part of Amity Foundation's 20th anniversary in 2005, and on May 18, the dream became a reality.
The new plant which opened May 18 represents phase 1, at 398,000 square feet, with future expansion planned for a total of 48,000 square meters. State-of-the-art web printing presses from England are installed and running, as well as modern up-to-date equipment for all phases of Bible printing and finishing.
Distribution is based in churches, nearly all of which have a bookstore selling Bibles and other religious literature, music and gift items. The bookstores are open to everyone. It is possible to buy Bibles sometimes in secular stores, but because the Amity Bibles are subsidized, it is not appropriate for them to be distributed in for-profit stores.
Besides printing Bibles, the plant also prints hymnals and other books and literature for the CCC and the seminaries. The plant also has the capacity to print two 32-volume Braille Bibles a day. The machine is operated by a man who is himself blind.
Visitors to the opening ceremony were able to take away sample covers of bright red Gospels with the officially sanctioned Olympic rings and logo that were being printed as they walked through the new plant. The TSPM/ CCC is preparing to provide free Gospels and to invite visitors to church services during the games to participants.
Lynn Yarbrough is a Virginia Baptist Kingdom Advance Ambassador, living in Nanjing, China.