Sung Editions
Sung editions were written by skillful copiers for the wood block printing. They are particularly important not only for the quality of the original editing but also for the exquisite of the cover-page design, quality of paper and ink and format of binding. This special exhibition presents three of the most precious books from thirty-five of our library collections: Shih-chi, Nan-hua Chen-ching, Wen-yuan Ying-hua. After a thousand years, these books remain in good condition.
The Compilation of the Ssu-K’u Ch’üan-Shu
The Ch’ien-lung Emperor launched the imperial Complete Library of Four Treasuries project in 1772. With this empire-wide campaign, books flowed into the capital’s Forbidden City in great numbers, only to be accompanied by rounds of severe censorship and literary inquisition. Exhibited here is a sample from the Four Treasuries, including Yung-le Ta-tien, Ch’in-ting Li-chi I-shu, a handwritten copy of Chu-yu Chi,as well as Wen-chung Chi. The collation notes and slips of bibliographic information provide a glimpse of the editing process of collation, editing, copying, and deletion.
Celebrity Archives
The Fu Ssu-nien library collection includes letters by prominent scholars, politicians, and other influential figures, such as Chiang Kai-shek, Mao Tse-tung, Ts'ai Yuan-p'ei, Hu Shih, Fu Ssu-nien, Li Chi, Tung Tso-pin, Liang Ssu-ch'eng, Lin Hui-yin and Liang Ssu-yung ; letters from Hsu Chih-mo, and Liang Ch'i-ch'ao to Ting Wen-chiang ; and letters from Hang Li-wu to Hu Shih. If there is any truth to the expression that one can know a man from his brush, then perhaps the originals of these letters reveal something of the men who wrote them.
Sung editions were written by skillful copiers for the wood block printing. They are particularly important not only for the quality of the original editing but also for the exquisite of the cover-page design, quality of paper and ink and format of binding. This special exhibition presents three of the most precious books from thirty-five of our library collections: Shih-chi, Nan-hua Chen-ching, Wen-yuan Ying-hua. After a thousand years, these books remain in good condition.
The Compilation of the Ssu-K’u Ch’üan-Shu
The Ch’ien-lung Emperor launched the imperial Complete Library of Four Treasuries project in 1772. With this empire-wide campaign, books flowed into the capital’s Forbidden City in great numbers, only to be accompanied by rounds of severe censorship and literary inquisition. Exhibited here is a sample from the Four Treasuries, including Yung-le Ta-tien, Ch’in-ting Li-chi I-shu, a handwritten copy of Chu-yu Chi,as well as Wen-chung Chi. The collation notes and slips of bibliographic information provide a glimpse of the editing process of collation, editing, copying, and deletion.
Celebrity Archives
The Fu Ssu-nien library collection includes letters by prominent scholars, politicians, and other influential figures, such as Chiang Kai-shek, Mao Tse-tung, Ts'ai Yuan-p'ei, Hu Shih, Fu Ssu-nien, Li Chi, Tung Tso-pin, Liang Ssu-ch'eng, Lin Hui-yin and Liang Ssu-yung ; letters from Hsu Chih-mo, and Liang Ch'i-ch'ao to Ting Wen-chiang ; and letters from Hang Li-wu to Hu Shih. If there is any truth to the expression that one can know a man from his brush, then perhaps the originals of these letters reveal something of the men who wrote them.
