The complete works of Ji Xianlin, a well-known Chinese scholar and translator, was turned over for printing on Monday, its publisher, the Beijing-based Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press (FLTRP), said Tuesday.

It will comprise 30 volumes or nearly 10 million Chinese characters, and will include all Ji's works since the 1920s.

The FLTRP will publish eight volumes this year, focusing on his literary works including prose, memoirs and his diary.

"Some of the works are being published for the first time," the FLTRP said on its website.

As a birthday present, all the volumes will be completed by Aug. 6, 2010 when Ji turns 99.

Chai Jianhong, a famous scholar and the director of the complete works' editorial board, said there were nearly 200 kinds of books by Ji in the market, printed by more than 70 publishers.

"Some of them are of poor quality, some even changed the title or wording of the original works, and some were not authorized by Ji," Chai said.

Ji's son Ji Cheng said, "Though my father's eyesight is deteriorating, his mind is sober. He cannot write himself, but he didn't stop writing."

He said a man was now in charge of organizing his father's oral works.

Ji, a former deputy president of Peking University, is known for his translation works and studies of Sanscrit and other ancient Indian languages.

Source: Xinhua