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China's national archives receive over 120,000 donated items
CGTN
An aerial photo shows the headquarters of the China National Archives of Publications and Culture in Beijing, July 23, 2022. /CFP
An aerial photo shows the headquarters of the China National Archives of Publications and Culture in Beijing, July 23, 2022. /CFP

An aerial photo shows the headquarters of the China National Archives of Publications and Culture in Beijing, July 23, 2022. /CFP

The China National Archives of Publications and Culture (CNAPC) recently had 120,000 physical items and 42 terabytes of digital data officially added to its collection.

Exhibits line the walls of the headquarters of the China National Archives of Publications and Culture in Beijing, July 25, 2022. /CFP
Exhibits line the walls of the headquarters of the China National Archives of Publications and Culture in Beijing, July 25, 2022. /CFP

Exhibits line the walls of the headquarters of the China National Archives of Publications and Culture in Beijing, July 25, 2022. /CFP

Donated by public institutions and private collectors from across the country, the latest batch of donations were reportedly the first of their kind, with a ceremony being held to mark the occasion at the CNAPC's Beijing headquarters last week.

A photo shows a night view of the Wenhan Pavilion at the headquarters of the China National Archives of Publications and Culture in Beijing, July 25, 2022. /CFP
A photo shows a night view of the Wenhan Pavilion at the headquarters of the China National Archives of Publications and Culture in Beijing, July 25, 2022. /CFP

A photo shows a night view of the Wenhan Pavilion at the headquarters of the China National Archives of Publications and Culture in Beijing, July 25, 2022. /CFP

Consisting of the headquarters in Beijing and three branches in the cities of Xi'an, Hangzhou and Guangzhou, the China National Archives of Publications and Culture opened in July, 2022.

An aerial photo shows the Hangzhou branch of the National Archives of Publications and Culture in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, July 27, 2022. /CFP
An aerial photo shows the Hangzhou branch of the National Archives of Publications and Culture in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, July 27, 2022. /CFP

An aerial photo shows the Hangzhou branch of the National Archives of Publications and Culture in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, July 27, 2022. /CFP

Hailed as a collective "gene bank" of Chinese culture, the CNAPC is committed to promoting the inheritance and preservation of Chinese civilization, arguably the most ancient and continuous society in the world. 

A photo shows the digital exhibition hall of the Hangzhou branch of the China National Archives of Publications and Culture in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, July 30, 2022. /CFP
A photo shows the digital exhibition hall of the Hangzhou branch of the China National Archives of Publications and Culture in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, July 30, 2022. /CFP

A photo shows the digital exhibition hall of the Hangzhou branch of the China National Archives of Publications and Culture in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, July 30, 2022. /CFP

The national archive aims to serve as a comprehensive repository for Chinese culture integrating a range of functions – from a museum, a library, a database and a gallery, to both a physical and digital archive, and an exhibition center. Over the past year, the CNAPC has been embracing donations from institutions and people from all walks of life, accepting a perplexing array of ancient classics, calligraphy works, manuscripts, stamps, works of intangible cultural heritage, and document databases.

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