Ancient books unveil chapters of history

Another highlight in the list, Libu Yunlue (or "the concise rhymes from the Ministry of Rites"), was released by the government of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) for preparation of national-level examinations.

It was collected by Nanjing Library in Jiangsu province in 2013, bought from an auction, and is also widely hailed by academia as "one of the biggest discoveries of ancient Chinese books in recent years".

According to Quan Qin, deputy director of Nanjing Library, this copy of Libu Yunlue, compiled between 1037 and 1066, is the earliest surviving printed edition of the book, and is also the only remaining example of that edition.