Wei Li with his collection of more than 70,000 copies of ancient books in full editions, one of the country's biggest collections for an individual collector. [Photo provided to China Daily]

"But there's no ancient book in the buildings anymore," he says of some old library sites.

His visit, however, has helped: Some places were listed as cultural heritage after he wrote about them.

"Traditional private libraries have gradually lost their function in modern society," he says.

"Books are the most important recordings of ancient history. The collectors deserve our respect."

Wei has turned down many potential buyers of his ancient books.

"I've never sold any collection but I will sell them in the end. It's not because I need money.

"It's natural for collection get scattered. That is why we can collect these books now."

Contact the writer at wangkaihao@chinadaily.com.cn

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