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Culture books in classical Chinese gain following
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Guo Jun sells books written in classical Chinese, and business is so good that several days ago he moved from a low-rent office building to an elaborate house in west Hangzhou.
There are only around 10 such “ancient” bookstores in China, says Guo, who has operated Hangzhou Tongyaxuan Ancient Bookstore for seven years and developed a large following.
“I love ancient books very much. When I was a child, I dreamed of being a librarian or opening a bookstore,” Guo says. “Business needs a solid economic foundation and after working for years, I finally accumulated enough money.”
The term “ancient” refers to books written about ancient Chinese culture and literature. They are not necessarily old, though some are antiquarian, both rare and old.
Guo’s books are written in classical Chinese, which includes literary Chinese.
Classical Chinese (gu wen 古文) was the traditional written style used between the Spring and Autumn Period (770-467 BC) and the end of the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220). Literary Chinese (wen yan wen 文言文) was modeled on the classical Chinese and used until the early 20th century. The term “classical” Chinese covers both, which are very sophisticated in grammar and pronunciation, far different from modern Chinese, especially the simplified characters used on China’s mainland.
In modern times, Chinese people speak Mandarin instead of classical Chinese, so that books written in the old language have lost much of their popularity.
Guo opened his specialized bookstore to preserve ancient books and culture. Today he sells to many collectors. He named the store Tongyaxuan after a Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) encyclopedia written by scientist Fang Yizhi (1611-1671).
When he opened the store seven years ago, his family was opposed. Guo, a company manager, was quite well off at the time. At first, few people knew about his store. Guo opened an online bookstore to attract customers and promote his book business. He gained considerable and dedicated following among professors, teachers and institutions and organizations related to education and culture. Collectors and sinologists from Japan, Singapore and other countries traveled to Hangzhou to purchase his books.
“I became acquainted with ancient-book lovers, which makes me feel that every day is meaningful,” he says.
After a couple of years, Guo developed a network of collectors. Publishing houses and sometimes amateur collectors sell their books to him. “Collectors are deeply in love with ancient books and sell them to me at a low price, or just donate them, hoping that more and more people will read the books that they have read,” Guo says.
Since books in classical Chinese about ancient culture and literature are not popular, only a few printed, making them rare and expensive.
The most valuable “book” Guo sold was the 10,000-volume “Gu Jin Tu Shu Ji Cheng,” literally “Complete Collection of Illustrations and Writings from the Earliest to Current Times.” The buyer was an entrepreneur who built a home library for his purchase.
It is valued at around 1 million yuan (US$164,700) today, says Guo, who would not disclose his price.
Today more Chinese people know how to appreciate ancient books, Guo says. “During the early years (of business), some customers bought books for the purpose of decorating their study, but now it’s different. Customers want to research classical Chinese literature and culture.”
Tongyaxuan sells some block-printed books that are cloth-bound in the traditional way. Only a few publishing houses produce such books now; most are paperback, printed with movable type. Collectors treasure the old form of binding. “The printing and binding is also a form of cultural heritage,” Guo says.
The Tongyaxuan bookstore covers 300 square meters. The cost of initial decoration and the first year’s rent is 900,000 yuan.
“I never fantasized that one day I would become a millionaire through operating this bookstore. I know it can only bring a little profit, but I think the ancient book industry is full of promise because culture develops along with the economy,” Guo says.
The Hangzhou government supports private bookstores through preferential policies and financial assistance. Last year, Tongyaxuan received a subsidy of 100,000 yuan.
Guo plans to launch seminars on ancient Chinese civilization. “The aim of our bookstore is to hand down our centuries-old Chinese classical culture,” Guo says.
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