Becoming the Source of Cultural Confidence, Bringing Ancient Books Out of the "Deep Boudoir", Cultural Inheritance and Development in Shanghai | Combining Inheritance and Communication with Literature | Restoration | Ancient Books
"Inheritance and dissemination, these two 'transmission', are the two 'legs' of ancient book restoration and protection. Our work as ancient book restorers is no longer just buried in books." On the afternoon of June 5th, Wang Chenmin, Deputy Director of the Document Protection and Restoration Department of the History and Literature Center of the Shanghai Library, recorded a new lesson on the evolution of Chinese ancient book binding in a conference room of the Youth Activity Center in Xuhui District, hosted by the Xuhui District Education Bureau and Shanghai People's Broadcasting Station.
Last Saturday, as a training instructor for the restoration and binding of ancient books, Wang Chenmin just gave a lesson to the librarians of Shanghai Vocational School; The "2023 Shanghai Student Career Experience Day" in May is attended by primary and secondary school students who participate in career experiences. In the steps of adding paper, ink, and removing paper, children personally experienced the charm of Chinese civilization using paper and ink to preserve form.
Wang Chenmin, born in the 1980s, joined the Department of Literature Protection and Restoration in 2005. In the past 20 years, her colleagues have gradually become the main force, from being mostly teachers to those born in the 1980s and 1990s. Nowadays, among the nearly 30 staff members of the Literature Protection and Restoration Department, there are not only ancient book restoration specialists, but also talents in various aspects such as design and curation. Last year, the Art and Literature Theme Museum of the Upper East Museum, which was completed and opened, has become a window and battlefield for the display, dissemination, and citizen experience of the two intangible cultural heritage techniques of ancient book restoration, inscription extension, and rubbings mounting.
"Strengthening the protection and utilization of cultural relics and the preservation and inheritance of cultural heritage, especially improving the level of research, interpretation, display and dissemination of cultural relics," said Chen Chao, the director of the Shanghai Library. "Let ancient books and cultural relics truly come to life, become an important business card for strengthening the construction of socialist spiritual civilization and expanding the international influence of Chinese culture. Librarians and ancient book workers should better shoulder the new cultural mission."
Studying and Understanding Books, Combining Traditional Skills with Modern Education
The Shanghai region is an important hub for collecting ancient book resources. There are seven key units under national protection, including the Shanghai Library, Shanghai Museum, and Fudan University. The Shanghai Archives, Local Records Office, China Modern Press and Publication Museum, Shanghai Book Company, and other paper-based cultural relics are also abundant in collection.
The Shanghai Library is one of the leading units in the protection and restoration of ancient books in China. 79 year old image expert Zhao Jiafu was the first generation of ancient book restorers trained in New China. Under his guidance, generations of "skilled workers" continued their mission of safeguarding traditional Chinese classics. Among them is Zhang Pinfang, the director of the Literature Protection and Restoration Department of the Historical Literature Center in the picture above - a practitioner of ancient book restoration in the "second generation" and "third generation" of New China; There is also Wang Xin, born in 1995, who is currently the youngest restorer in the team.
In June 2013, the National Library established the National Center for the Promotion of Ancient Book Restoration Techniques and established training centers in six provinces and municipalities including Hubei, Chongqing, and Shanghai. In November 2014, Fudan University established the first "Chinese Academy for the Protection of Ancient Books" in China and established a national talent training base for the protection of ancient books. Zhao Jiafu, a rare and ancient scholar, served as a distinguished professor. In 2015, the National Center for the Promotion of Ancient Book Restoration Techniques, Fudan University School of Education, was unveiled.
A study center that enrolls students from the society and values oral and mental education, combined with undergraduate and graduate education, has formed a composite model for cultivating talents in ancient book restoration, providing new practical possibilities for the traditional "master apprentice" approach in the field of ancient book restoration to combine with modern education.
Yang Guanghui, Executive Vice Dean of the Chinese Academy of Ancient Books at Fudan University, said that the protection of ancient books is a long-term project that involves many fields such as humanities, technology, intangible cultural heritage, aesthetics, etc. "To lay a foundation in school, it may take five, ten, or even longer to truly get started and independently 'embark on the road'," said Wang Xin, who studied finance for her undergraduate degree and changed her career due to her interest in ancient book restoration.
"Nowadays, not only students majoring in libraries and museums come to study ancient book restoration, but also students majoring in ancient Chinese, foreign languages, and even chemistry, biology, and other majors. Zhao Jiafu explained that in the past, when looking at paper and identifying versions, relying solely on the naked eye and hand feel, modern instruments and high-tech assistance have now been provided." When studying ancient book restoration, it is also necessary to understand how ancient book cataloging works, and it is better to understand the skills of stone carving, stone carving, and calligraphy. "He recalled," Since the era of Director Gu Tinglong, the above picture has never been purely about cultivating skills. The most basic requirement is to be able to read sentences, and the version must be able to understand clearly. "
Wang Xin is a master's graduate of the Chinese Academy of Ancient Books Protection and Research in 2019, and the "fourth generation" ancient book restoration engineer shown in the picture. According to Zhao Jiafu's teachings, she seems to be on par with Zhang Pinfang, who is born in the 1960s. Behind the vague "generation", it is evident that there has been a change in the talent training model for ancient book restoration. "I hope to cultivate talents who not only know how to restore ancient books, but also understand books," said Yang Guanghui.
Drawing inspiration from the past and understanding the present, making excellent ancient Chinese books come to life
"As a public cultural institution, we not only need to protect and preserve the things left by our ancestors, but also make them useful to society. Only by serving readers can we reflect the value of these traditional cultural material carriers," said Zhou Deming, Chairman of the Shanghai Library Association.
The restoration of ancient books is not just about renewing their lives, but everyone also has a wish - not to let ancient books "cool down" in the warehouse. Since 2005, Shanghai Library has been promoting the concept of "revealing high-quality collections, promoting Chinese culture, and serving the general public". It has established an annual exhibition service for the collection of historical documents in the domestic library industry, showcasing them for public welfare in the form of an annual theme. In just the past five years, audiences have been able to count several "hot selling items" such as "Fantastic Flowing Colors: Ancient Chinese Book Decoration Art", "Colorful Ink and Colorful Stone Drums Singing Together: Stone Drum Wen Shanben New Year Exhibition", and so on. The ancient book restoration team in the picture is responsible for the restoration and mounting of the exhibition works. At present, the team is busy preparing for the "Great Han Spirit: Shanghai Library Collection of Han Stele Rare Edition Exhibition" to be held in the second half of the year. This will be the first exhibition at home and abroad with Han stele rare edition as the theme.
At the East Museum Art Literature Theme Museum in the above picture, the newly held exhibition "Journey to the North Song Dynasty: A Cultural Journey of Calligraphers" is based on the inscriptions of the Four Masters of Song, providing readers with a cross time and space journey through the landscape of the North Song Dynasty. Wang Chenmin introduced that since the opening of the Art Literature Theme Museum, traditional craftsmanship experiences have been very popular, especially the quota for the "Expanding the Ancient and Inheriting the New - Expanding the Intangible Cultural Heritage Experience through Inscriptions" activity has always been sold out.
The "Intangible Cultural Heritage Skills Experience Course" series of public welfare activities, jointly organized by Shanghai Library and Bandai Nanmeng Palace, have been held for three consecutive years. Last year, they visited Suzhou Library, linked with the Yangtze River Delta, and spread traditional culture to the public through the form of education and entertainment.
After handcrafting a thread bound book, Jiang Yichen, a first year student at Southwest Weiyu Middle School, experienced the sweetness of overcoming difficulties and boredom. Yu Yitian, who is studying at Shanghai Foreign Studies Affiliated Middle School, wrote, "Under this skill of dismantling, assembling, and expanding every moment, there is no hidden mystery, but the love and perseverance of generations of inheritors of ancient book restoration techniques day after day, year after year."
"In the era of the Internet, we should actively explore new paths and new ways to spread traditional culture." Chen Chao said, "Librarians have made a small attempt to open a platform on the Internet to let experts and librarians in ancient book research talk about good books, tablet posters, manuscripts, and genealogies." At Station B, where young people gather, this program called "Guanzhi Lecture Hall" has been updated 328 times, and "Zhongwei Lecture on Tablets", the most popular program, was published as the first of the "Guanzhi Series" this year. The linkage between lecture videos and books further promotes the popularization and popularization of ancient books, and spreads the beauty of excellent traditional Chinese culture to the public.
"Drawing inspiration from the past and understanding the present" will bring to life the characters written in the pile of old papers, making excellent ancient Chinese books a carrier of dissemination and a source of cultural confidence. The exploration of "creative transformation and innovative development" will continue.
