Origin quest still inspires

Paleographer's decades of research lights the path for a new generation to follow, Wang Xin reports in Shanghai.

Some names are synonymous with a particular field. Such is the case for Chinese paleographer Qiu Xigui.

At 90, he maintains a heavy workload, burying himself relentlessly in decoding the mysteries of ancient Chinese civilization.

Born in 1935 in Shanghai, Qiu is highly accomplished and renowned in various disciplines including paleography, ancient classics, history and linguistics. Dubbed "the top researcher of contemporary Chinese paleography", he has made remarkable academic achievements in diverse categories such as research on the inscriptions on oracle bones, bronze objects, in the Warring States Period (475-221 BC), bamboo and wood slips, and silk manuscripts.