The Fudan University institute is calling on the establishment of an international alliance for the protection and conservation of ancient Chinese books, where resources, experiences, latest scientific findings and technological achievements can be shared internationally, Yang says.

During its 10th anniversary celebration, the institute joined Fudan University Library to publish a photocopied edition of Shi Jing, or The Book of Songs or Classic of Poetry, the earliest existing collection of Chinese poems from the university library's collection.

With more than 400,000 volumes of ancient Chinese books in its library, Fudan ranks second among Chinese universities in terms of volume following Peking University. Among the most renowned collections are more than 1,000 copies of Shi Jing from the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

The first series of the photocopied edition of Shi Jing consists of 81 books printed in the Yuan and Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), with 15 books being sole copies.

"The publication of these books is of great value for the studies of Shi Jing, classical Chinese literature, ancient Chinese culture, the history of publishing and books, along with other fields," says Du Zexun from Shandong University.

Publishing the photocopies "enables the academic community to see the whole picture of these ancient books, which could change some of the previous understandings and conclusions of the study of Shi Jing", says Liu Yuqing from Shanxi University.