Dinghai district in Zhoushan hosts the third Sanmao Prose Prize this year. This photo from April 1989 shows Sanmao cycling on East Huancheng Road, Dinghai district as she visits her family in Zhoushan. [Photo/zhoushan.cn]

A total of 52 literary works have been shortlisted for the third Sanmao Prose Prize, Zhoushan Daily reported on March 19.

The competition has received 607 entries from around the world, including the Chinese mainland, the United States, Canada, and Germany. Senior literary editors, renowned writers and critics were invited to review and select 52 finalists.

These shortlisted works have been delivered to the judges of the final round who are expected to spend more than a month reviewing these works.

Twenty-six prize-winners will be selected from the 52 pieces.

Sanmao was the pen name of Echo Chen Ping, a Chinese writer and translator from Taiwan. Her works range from autobiographical writing, travel writing and reflective novels, to translations of Spanish-language comic strips.

The ancestral residence of Sanmao was built by her grandfather during the Republic of China period (1912-1949) in Chen village, Dinghai district, Zhoushan.

Five rooms in Sanmao's ancestral residence function as exhibition areas for her works, photos, and collections.

To honor Sanmao's outstanding accomplishments, People's Literature magazine, Zhejiang Writers Association and Dinghai district launched the Sanmao Prose Prize in 2016. Today, the prize is considered one of the three major literary awards in the province.