Documentary shares legendary stories of ancient 'library'

Siku Quanshu, or the Complete Library of the Four Branches of Literature, stands as one of the largest and most significant collections of ancient Chinese literature.

Compiled during the reign of Emperor Qianlong (1736-1796), it has generated many legends, particularly about its survival through wars and upheavals over the past 230 years.

Recently, the new documentary Kuayue Shikong De Siku Quanshu (Across Time and Space: Complete Library of the Four Branches of Literature) was screened at the Communication University of China. The event brought together over 10 insiders, creators and researchers to discuss the film's artistic expression and the stories behind the scenes.

One fascinating aspect of the project is Emperor Qianlong's predictive efforts to protect the collection. He ordered craftsmen to transport over 1,300 kilograms of materials from Beijing to study the architectural details of the Tianyi Pavilion, one of China's oldest and best-preserved book repositories. Based on this research, he commissioned the construction of seven new repositories across China: four in the northern regions and three in the south. This strategic distribution ensured the safety of 36,000 books in the event of a fire or other disasters.

Xu Lingguang, the film's chief planner and chief producer, has been exploring ways to use cinematic storytelling to preserve historical memories and pass on spiritual strength, striving to make the film a masterpiece that combines cultural depth with broad communication impact. He said the film aims to use camera imagery to explore and explain the historical significance and contemporary value of the masterpiece, as well as its important role in building a shared spiritual homeland for the country.

Rao Shuguang, president of the China Film Critics Association, said that as a native of Cangzhou in Hebei province, the hometown of Ji Xiaolan, a famous scholar during the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911) appointed by Emperor Qianlong to serve as the epic work's chief compiler, he felt a deep resonance with the anecdotes depicted throughout the documentary.