Pic story: Ancient book restorers at E China's Anhui Provincial Library
Book restorer Geng Ning restores a book at Anhui Provincial Library in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, June 17, 2025. The Anhui Provincial Library, established in 1913, boasts a rich collection of ancient books. As one of China's earliest public libraries, it houses more than 350,000 volumes of ancient books.
Zang Chunhua, 39, is an ancient book restorer at Anhui Provincial Library. "Restoring a single ancient book can take from several days to several months, or even longer," he said. Patience, meticulousness, and a strong sense of responsibility are indispensable in this line of work.
Despite the seemingly repetitive and monotonous restoration process, Zang and five colleagues find personal fulfillment. "Through ancient books, we can learn about the lives of people in the past. Each book's binding and damage varies, so every new restoration presents a fresh challenge," said Geng Ning, another ancient book restorer.
In 2022, Zhou Yahan transferred from the reading room to the restoration department. "Previously, I often had to tell readers that the books they wanted were temporarily unavailable due to damage and needed restoration before they could be read. After joining the restoration team, I have had the chance to repair those books myself, which brings a great sense of accomplishment," Zhou said with a smile.
Ancient book restoration is not only a technical craft but also a process of tempering one's character. Jin Xin, who struggled to focus in the early years on the job, has now developed steadiness and gradually honed his restoration skills. His goal is to restore every book to the best possible condition.
In the ancient book restoration room, six restorers use their skills and perseverance to bring ancient texts and cultures back to life. "Caring for these ancient books and helping them traverse from the past into the future--that is the true significance of ancient book restoration," said Zang Chunhua. (Xinhua/Zhang Duan)
Book restorer Zang Chunhua cleans pages of ancient books at Anhui Provincial Library in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, June 24, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Duan)
Book restorer Zang Chunhua (front) restores a book at Anhui Provincial Library in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, May 8, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Duan)
This undated combo photo shows an ancient book before restoration (above) and after restoration (below) at Anhui Provincial Library in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province. (Xinhua/Zhang Duan)
Book restorers Jiang Yun (L) and Zhang Wenwen discuss during restoration work at Anhui Provincial Library in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, May 8, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Duan)
Book restorer Zhou Yahan (front, R) demonstrates restoration techniques at Anhui Provincial Library in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, June 4, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Duan)
Book restorers Zhang Wenwen (R) and Jin Xin discuss during restoration work at Anhui Provincial Library in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, June 17, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Duan)
Book restorer Zang Chunhua lifts a cleaned page at Anhui Provincial Library in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, June 24, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Duan)
Book restorer Geng Ning introduces tools for book restoration at Anhui Provincial Library in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, June 4, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Duan)
Readers are pictured at Anhui Provincial Library in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, July 16, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Duan)
Book restorer Jin Xin restores a book at Anhui Provincial Library in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, June 24, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Duan)
Book restorer Zang Chunhua mixes paste for restoration of books at Anhui Provincial Library in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, Aug. 5, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Duan)
Book restorer Zang Chunhua shows cleaned pages of ancient books at Anhui Provincial Library in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, June 24, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Duan)
Book restorer Geng Ning checks a page under restoration at Anhui Provincial Library in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, June 17, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Duan)
Book restorer Zhang Wenwen restores a book at Anhui Provincial Library in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, June 17, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Duan)
Book restorers Geng Ning, Zhou Yahan, Zhang Wenwen (front, from L to R), Jin Xin and Zang Chunhua (rear, from L to R) pose for a group photo at Anhui Provincial Library in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, June 17, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Duan)
Book restorer Geng Ning introduces binding types of books at Anhui Provincial Library in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, Aug. 5, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Duan)
An aerial drone photo taken on June 4, 2025 shows a view of Anhui Provincial Library in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province. (Xinhua/Zhang Duan)
Book restorer Geng Ning cuts pages of ancient books at Anhui Provincial Library in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, June 4, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Duan)
Book restorer Zhou Yahan demonstrates restoration techniques at Anhui Provincial Library in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, June 4, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Duan)
Book restorer Zang Chunhua dries pages of ancient books at Anhui Provincial Library in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, Aug. 5, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Duan)
Book restorer Zang Chunhua checks the fiber of a page with professional device at Anhui Provincial Library in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, June 4, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Duan)
Book restorer Jin Xin restores a book at Anhui Provincial Library in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, June 24, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Duan)
Book restorer Jin Xin restores a book at Anhui Provincial Library in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, June 17, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Duan)
Book restorer Jiang Yun cleans a book at Anhui Provincial Library in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, Aug. 5, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Duan)
An aerial drone photo taken on July 5, 2025 shows a view of Anhui Provincial Library in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province. (Xinhua/Zhang Duan)
Book restorers Zhang Wenwen (L) and Jiang Yun discuss during restoration work at Anhui Provincial Library in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, Aug. 5, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Duan)
Book restorer Zhou Yahan takes a photo of an ancient book before restoring it at Anhui Provincial Library in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, Aug. 5, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Duan)
