National storehouse of textual treasures

They are vivid evidence of Chinese national civilization, socialist history, and the history of the Communist Party of China, he says.

This idea is implemented well in the exhibitions in the China National Archives of Publications and Culture.

In the Wenxing Building, the exhibition, The Craftsmanship of Printing, employs 100 precious artifacts to systematically display the developmental process of printing techniques in China, from a book's layout, to manufacture, design and restoration. The showcases contain many precious ancient books.

One of them is a copy of a Tangut-script translation of Tibetan Buddhist texts. It is the earliest existing printed book using the techniques of wooden movable-type printing, created in the 13th century.

Comprising nine volumes, the book, excavated in the Ningxia Hui autonomous region in 1991, provides important evidence for the invention of movable-type printing in China.

In Wenhua Hall, an exhibition of fine publications and special editions in contemporary China presents different editions of the Xinhua Dictionary, nianhua (New Year pictures or paintings), picture-storybooks and posters created after the founding of the PRC.

On the second floor of Wenhan Ge is Inception of Chinese Civilization: Exhibition of Ancient Chinese Publications and Cultural Articles.

Categorized into 13 subjects, including politics, economics, philosophy, geography, literature, historical studies, and science and technology, more than 400 precious exhibits present the historical origins and development process of traditional Chinese culture.

A special exhibit, zun of He, a piece of bronzeware from the Western Zhou Dynasty (c. 11th century-771 BC), is inscribed with early Chinese characters that spell out zhongguo (China), the earliest physical record of the term.

Another star exhibit is a book of rubbings of calligraphy collected by Su Shi, a great poet and calligrapher in the Song Dynasty.

Consisting of over 60 calligraphy works and letters by Su, this rare copy, created over 850 years ago, is highly precious and valuable.