Treasures of calligraphy from the Qing Dynasty's Inner Court are exhibited in Shenyang, reproducing traditional printing techniques
2025-11-18
The "Building Together with Splendor - Liaoning Provincial Library Collection of Qing Dynasty Inner Prefecture Engraving Book Exhibition" was held on the 17th at the Liaoning Provincial Library (Liaoning Ancient Book Protection Center). More than 30 precious Qing Dynasty inner prefecture engraved books, including the "Kangxi Dictionary" from the Kangxi period and the "Complete Tang Poems" from the Qianlong period, were showcased, showcasing traditional Chinese printing techniques. The Qing Dynasty was a glorious period in the history of Chinese woodblock printing. The Qing government advocated for the "right script of ancient records", reformed the engraving institutions, and attached great importance to book editing and collation. There were significant breakthroughs and achievements in the content, quantity, quality, and printing technology of the imperial engraved books. The technique of engraving books in the Qing Dynasty reached another peak in woodblock printing technology, which is a comprehensive summary of China's woodblock printing technology. According to Li Dandan, Deputy Director of the Ancient Books and Documents Center of Liaoning Provincial Library, the Inner Court carved books during their heyday were highly praised by later generations for their meticulous proofreading, meticulous writing, and exquisite printing. Liaoning was the birthplace of the Qing Dynasty, and Shengjing was the capital of the Qing Dynasty outside the Great Wall. In order to show respect for ancestors and not forget the hardships of entrepreneurship, the Qing emperor regulated that three to five books of each type carved and printed in the imperial palace must be selected and sent to Shengjing Palace for safekeeping. Therefore, today's Liaoning Provincial Library has a rich collection of books carved in the imperial palace of the Qing Dynasty. This exhibition selects treasures from the collection of Qing Dynasty Inner Prefecture Engraved Books in Liaoning Provincial Library, divided into eight units, systematically sorting out the historical development of Qing Dynasty Inner Prefecture Engraved Books, showcasing the early Qing Dynasty's Inner Prefecture Engraved Books, the establishment of the Wu Ying Hall Calligraphy Office, as well as Qing Dynasty Inner Prefecture Prints, movable type Prints, overprinting in Engraving Books, and the publication of Manchu books. According to Li Dandan, Deputy Director of the Ancient Books and Documents Center of Liaoning Provincial Library, the Inner Court carved books during their heyday were highly praised by later generations for their meticulous proofreading, meticulous writing, and exquisite printing. Liaoning was the birthplace of the Qing Dynasty, and Shengjing was the capital of the Qing Dynasty outside the Great Wall. In order to show respect for ancestors and not forget the hardships of entrepreneurship, the Qing emperor regulated that three to five books of each type carved and printed in the imperial palace must be selected and sent to Shengjing Palace for safekeeping. Therefore, today's Liaoning Provincial Library has a rich collection of books carved in the imperial palace of the Qing Dynasty. This exhibition selects treasures from the collection of Qing Dynasty Inner Prefecture Engraved Books in Liaoning Provincial Library, divided into eight units, systematically sorting out the historical development of Qing Dynasty Inner Prefecture Engraved Books, showcasing the early Qing Dynasty's Inner Prefecture Engraved Books, the establishment of the Wu Ying Hall Calligraphy Office, as well as Qing Dynasty Inner Prefecture Prints, movable type Prints, overprinting in Engraving Books, and the publication of Manchu books. In the exhibition, the five color overprint of "Ancient Prose Yuanjian" during the Kangxi period attracted attention. It is reported that the reprints printed by the Imperial Household Department of the Qing Dynasty are rich in color and accurate in reprinting, and the reprinting technology has further developed. The main text of the "Guwen Yuanjian" printed in five colors is printed in ink, and the comments of previous scholars are printed in yellow, green, and blue colors respectively. The annotations and comments of the Qing Dynasty are printed in red. Its exquisite printing and bright colors demonstrate the high level of multi-color printing technology in the early Qing Dynasty, and it is also one of the earliest known printed books in the Qing Dynasty. The "Imperial Imperial Imperial Palace Ode" was also exhibited in the exhibition, attracting the audience to stop and watch. It is reported that the "Imperial Collection of Shengjing Fu" was written by Qing Emperor Gaozong Hong during his eastern tour of Shengjing (now Shenyang) in the eighth year of the Qianlong reign (1743). In the eleventh year of the Qianlong reign (1746), Emperor Gaozong instructed officials such as Fu Heng to search for literature and collect ancient Han characters and seal scripts from various dynasties, creating thirty-two Manchu and thirty-two Han seal scripts. The book was published and engraved in the thirteenth year of the Qianlong reign (1748). It is reported that only 21 styles of seal script, including jade chopsticks and dragon claw seal script, remain in the manuscript submitted to the imperial review. However, it can reflect the process of changes in Manchu and Han seal script compiled by officials such as Fu Heng, and is an extremely precious document. At the same time, the "Wuying Hall Collection of Treasures" is also on display, which is the largest wooden movable type printing project in ancient China, using a total of 253500 jujube wood movable types. In addition, precious classics such as the Manchu engraved version of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" from the Shunzhi period are also on display. Li Dandan said that every classic carries a history, and every reading is a dialogue with the culture of three hundred years ago. I hope people can meet the precious books carved by the Qing Dynasty's imperial court through exhibitions, and understand the depth and brilliance of Chinese traditional culture between the lines. (New Society)
Edit:ANA Responsible editor:ZHANG LIN
Source:chinanews
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