Ancient book might seem somewhat more accessible and appealing, thanks to the China National Museum of Classic Books. The museum is promoting a series of activities this summer, hoping to shorten the distance between those indecipherable classic volumes and the readers.

The National Museum of Classic Books, the first museum of precious ancient books in China, was officially opened to mark the 105th anniversary of the National Library of China in Beijing in 2014.

Knocking knocking knocking. The sounds are echoed in the exhibition hall. 

A group of students from Beijing Institute of Graphic Communication are experiencing a traditional rubbing technique.

The tablet inscriptions used are carefully selected from the museum collection. The damage marks of the tablets are seen on the inscriptions so that the students can feel like they are touching the history.

"I will get it mounted back home and hang it on the wall. It is a very intimate touch with history and I feel like I actually take the classic volumes home."

The Yongle Encyclopedia was a Chinese compilation commissioned by the Chinese Ming Dynasty emperor Yongle in 1403. It was then the world's largest known general encyclopedia, and one of the earliest.

This map finely illustrated the street scenes, customs and all walks of life of Xuanhuan County, in today's Southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. There are more than 150 maps like this in the Yongle Encyclopedia.

This volume neatly illustrated door patterns from pre-Qin times to the Ming dynasty. And the decorating on the gates of the National Museum of Classic Books is inspired from this book too.

ZHU BINGREN, BRONZE SCULPTOR NATIONAL INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE INHERITOR "I had no idea at the beginning, and the museum experts showed me the book of door patterns. I saw the ice crystals and tortoiseshell patterns page and I picked the ice flowers pattern, which is commonly seen on the gates in the Palace Museum. The two patterns symbolize fortune, longevity and eternity. Ancient Chinese culture is really marvellous."

ZHAO YINFANG, VICE RESEARCHER EXHIBITION DEPT., NATIONAL LIBRARY OF CHINA "There is actually a story behind the book of door patterns. The National Library received a letter from Shandong Province in 1982. A farmer named Sun Honglin claimed that he had a volume of the Yongle Encyclopedia and asked us to identify it. That was how we found the book but unfortunately, the letter is lost."

The Yongle Encyclopedia is like a vast ocean of knowledge from which the museum has been inspired to develop interactive games, all in this multimedia device.

Click the screen, choose a style and copy with your finger, and scan the QR code, you may print your own calligraphy work and bring it home.

Nearly 30 cultural and creative products including a scarf, portable charger and the four treasures of the study have sold very well.

During the summer vacation, the museum has seen flocks of students of all grades every day. The showcase of some 70 original classic books is only one of their favorites.

Children's top choice must be the exhibition named "Anthony Browne's Happy Museum", which shows 162 original paintings by the Hans Christian Andersen Award winner, British writer and illustrator of children's books. YR, CGTN.