Collectable museum guidebook: A global art journey at your fingertips

A new museum guidebook allows readers to discover the world's most celebrated art treasures without leaving their homes. The book stands out as a hardcover masterpiece adorned with a stunning edge-to-edge design inspired by Van Gogh's iconic The Starry Night.

The new book is on display in a booth at the ongoing 2025 China Print in Beijing, an expo which runs from May 15 to 19. The Beijing Zhiyi Technology Company, which named its fore-edge aesthetic printing the "book-fish technique," claims approximately 500,000 books worldwide now undergo this decorative printing finish on a daily basis.

In China, books such as the "Four Great Classical Novels" of China all have edge-to-edge design editions. A company employee explained that the breakthrough technology may work to not only stimulate people's interest in reading but also create unique and desirable collectables.

Hailed by China's publishing industry as a collector's treasure, this museum guidebook showcases 12 iconic global institutions – including Beijing's Palace Museum, the Louvre Museum in Paris, London's British Museum and others – curating a global exhibition of painting and calligraphy masterpieces. Beyond its other practicality as a calendar, it offers readers unparalleled access to the world's greatest artworks.

In recent years, many museums in China have embraced the trend of producing calendars, but few offer a unique opportunity to explore the collections of the world's greatest institutions in a single volume.