Celebrating a bookish romance

Restorers save ancient works as they usher in a new chapter of appreciation, Wang Kaihao reports.

The seventh day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar, known as Qixi in China, is widely seen as the Chinese counterpart of Valentine's Day. But ancient Chinese literati had their own romantic story, literally. On this day, they would display their book collections and bathe them in sunshine.

Scientifically, this method known as shaishu ("to dry the book under the sun") would help prevent moisture and bugs and better protect the pages, but it was also seen as a ritual to show off the literati's taste and knowledge in a tangible way.

On this year's Qixi Day, which fell on Thursday, a special shaishu event opened at the National Library of China. Though the books were showcased under artificial light instead of the sun, the first public appearance of these precious books might demonstrate not only an individual literati's taste, but a country's determination to prolong cultural lineage.