Photo: Courtesy of National Library of China

An exhibition on ancient book restoration is scheduled to kick off at the National Library of China on April 28 as part of celebrations for World Book and Copyright Day on Sunday. 

A total of 35 categories comprising 39 precious and well-restored ancient books will be on display, including one volume of the great Chinese encyclopedia Yongle Dadian, commissioned by the Yongle Emperor during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), noted the library on Tuesday. 

Wang Pei, deputy director of the National Ancient Books Protection and Conservation Center, told the Global Times on Wednesday that the National Museum of Classic Books and other institutions co-launched an event on the protection of ancient books in 2021, which included restoring 104 ancient books and fostering 107 trainees with at least three years of experience in the field. 

The new exhibition aims to promote and popularize ancient book restoration to the public through a showcase of real relics, visuals, video and other hi-tech means.

Visitors can select the appropriate tools to operate based on the amount of damage an ancient book has suffered, complete restoration tasks following in game, and generate a repair QR code so their results can be shared on social media platforms.

Meanwhile, a large-scale immersive exhibition about Sherlock Holmes is set to be released at the National Library of China in late April. Some original manuscripts from renowned British writer Arthur Conan Doyle are set to be displayed.

Gu Heng, director of the National Library's exhibition center, told the Global Times that visitors can gain a better understanding of how Doyle created the story of Sherlock Holmes by viewing the original manuscripts and participating in activities in which they try to solve 12 cases themselves.