Terra Cotta Warriors aren't the only treasures being preserved in China. Last weekend, the second "Catalog of Chinese Rare Books" was unveiled. A total of 19 volumes from the East China city of Yangzhou were included on the prominent list.
The Catalog of Chinese Rare Books is a compilation of books produced prior to the year 1912, which marks the end of the country's dynastic history. The national project is intended as a census of the ancient literature of historical and cultural values. It was first published in March 2008, featuring 50 rare books from the city of Yangzhou. The area used to be a center of China's bookmaking industry since the Song Dynasty in the 11th century.
In the recently published second installment, the catalog includes 19 rare books from Yangzhou. Sixteen of them are housed at the Yangzhou Municipal Library. And the other three are kept at Yangzhou University.
The Yangzhou Municipal Library says the institution has submitted a total 89 volumes for the nationwide evaluation. Among the titles, the most valuable is the a copy of the official history of the Jin Dynasty. It was printed during the Yuan Dynasty in the 14th century and bears the comments from numerous renowned collectors.
(CCTV June 19, 2009)
