Ancient-book collections' private story

A rare edition of Bencao Gangmu, a Ming Dynasty medicinal classic, is a highlight at the ongoing show at the National Museum of Classic Books. The display of 115 books from China and abroad, belonging to 30 private collections, at the National Museum of Classic Books is said to be the most comprehensive of its kind to date. Most manuscripts from the ancient Silk Road oasis are 30 to 50 centimeters, says curator Chen Hongyan, who's also the National Museum of Classic Books' deputy director. Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Western Xia culture research center director Shi Jinbo highlights a dictionary printed during the ethnic Tangut kingdom in northwestern China.