It was established in 1973 and covers Chinese literature, from classical works of poetry, prose, and fiction to their contemporary counterparts, as well as articles on art, Chinese studies, and translation studies.
The hard-cover series was introduced in 1976, primarily for the library market in recognition of a core readership in the discipline of Chinese Studies in English-speaking countries.
A paperback series was launched in 1986 to make high-quality translations available to a wider market.
A special product introduced in 2002 is the Renditions personal digital assistant series, sold directly on-line, featuring poetry selections and city stories especially chosen for readers interested in China or travelling to Asia.
Since January 2007, the database also includes Chinese characters for titles and authors of all listed works.