Ancient book museum ready to open its covers

Hortus Eystetensis， published in 1613 in Germany, a gardening book written in Latin.

Chen explained that the library has royal book collections from every dynasty since the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279).

"We'd like to give a clear outline of literary history for audiences and a more scientific description of the items, paying consideration to their value both as cultural relics and historical records."

She revealed that one of the highlights will be a partial manuscript with 400 characters written by historian and politician Sima Guang (1019-86).

The world's largest oracle bone script written on ox scapulae and rare carving stones of the country's top calligraphy models also will await visitors.

Chen added that classics written in languages of non-Han ethnic groups will also be shown. The list involves Tangut script and Old Uygur alphabets, both extinct writing systems. Rare old books, most of which were brought to China by foreign missionaries, also will be displayed. About 50,000 copies of Western books before 1850 are at the library.

According to Li Honglin, deputy head of the museum, although all the items in the opening exhibition are owned by NLC, collections from other institutions worldwide probably will be displayed in the future.

Li said the museum will help clear up misunderstandings. For example, after Dunhuang manuscripts from the fourth to the 11th century were discovered in Gansu province's Mogao Caves around 1900, Western adventurers swarmed there to take away many of these treasures.