International scholars gather in Guilin to advance ancient book studies. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

In a significant gathering in late May, experts from around the world convened in Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, for a conference dedicated to the protection, organization, research, and bibliography of ancient books in the modern era. This event, a part of the fourth International Forum on the Collection, Study, and Publication of Ancient Texts, was jointly organized by the Guangxi Normal University Press Group and the Center for the Compilation and Research of Ancient Texts at Guangxi Normal University.

Over 70 scholars, experts, and media professionals hailing from prestigious institutions like Tsinghua University, Guangxi Normal University, Nanjing University Library, and the Harvard-Yenching Library participated in the conference. During the opening ceremony, Cheng Lei, the deputy editor-in-chief of GNUP group, emphasized the Chinese government's unwavering commitment to preserving traditional culture and ancient books, fostering a robust platform for global cooperation in this domain.

Tang Wenhui, the director of the Center for the Compilation and Research of Ancient Texts at GNU, highlighted the university press' remarkable achievements in publishing rare documents and advancing humanities research over the past four decades. He underscored the forum's role in strengthening collaboration between the publishing industry and academic circles.

International scholars gather in Guilin to advance ancient book studies. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Keynote speeches at the conference delved into a wide array of topics such as ancient book collation, bibliographic studies, resource organization and publication experiences from both domestic and international collections, as well as the historical context and dissemination of ancient texts. These discussions not only underscored the depth and diversity of ancient book research but also provided a road map for future scholarly pursuits.

Zhang Zhiqing, the deputy director of the National Center for Preservation and Conservation of Ancient Books, outlined recent strides in China's ancient book preservation initiatives, including nationwide surveys, enhanced storage facilities, and extensive restoration projects. He emphasized the importance of establishing a national smart library system to rejuvenate ancient texts and safeguard cultural heritage.

Furthermore, scholars like Cheng Huanwen from Sun Yat-sen University's School of Information Management advocated for the intelligent advancement of ancient book preservation through modern technology, aiming to establish a unified national management system. Huang Shizhong, a professor of Chinese language and literature at Sun Yat-sen University, shared insights on cataloging and organizing folklore literature manuscripts, shedding light on their classification and historical significance.