An expert at the National Library of China in Beijing demonstrates to visitors the process of block printing, which originated in the seventh century. The library is now displaying about 100 ancient and classic books collected from across the country. [Photo by Jiang Dong/China Daily]

The books were purchased from private collectors and added to the national library's collection last year after they emerged in the art market.

They are the latest examples of China's efforts over nearly a decade to catalog and restore key ancient books.

The Ministry of Culture launched in 2007 a preservation project of ancient books that are defined as writing materials before the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

An essential part of the ministry's project has been the national-level cataloging of precious written records on various mediums, including oracle bones and bamboo sheets, and in Mandarin and other languages, including foreign. The catalog has expanded a few times and the latest update in May took the list to 12,274 items in total.

The current exhibition at the national library also has a selection of the new entries. These exhibits not only showcase ancient Chinese wisdom but also show the technical progress in restoring classic writings.