傳世工程杭州國家版本館落成
——在“浙”里，守望中華文明

文/ 嚴粒粒

杭州國家版本館館區(qū)全貌。肖奕叁/攝A panoramic view of the China National Archives of Publications and Culture (Hangzhou). Photo by Xiao Yisan.

有人說：中國是國家，更是一種文明，這就是它長盛不衰的原因。

中華版本，是古今中外刻有中華文明印記的載體。如果文明的載體消逝在歲月長河里，后人該從何處領略她的魅力，又該如何將她傳承、永續(xù)？

在2019年國家啟動建設項目后的第一時間，杭州國家版本館（下文部分簡稱杭州館）啟動建設。其核心功能為保藏、展示、研究和交流，是集圖書館、博物館、美術館、檔案館、展覽館等多種場館功能于一體的綜合性場館，同時也是中央總館異地災備庫、江南特色版本庫及華東地區(qū)版本資源集聚中心。

杭州國家版本館是傳承中華文明、彰顯浙江精神的“重要窗口”，浙江省高度重視杭州國家版本館的建設工作，專門成立了由省委書記擔任組長、省長擔任第一副組長的工程建設小組。

在杭州國家版本館落成落成之際，記者走進這座新時代浙江文化地標，揭秘她獨有的韻味、品位和“智慧”。

現(xiàn)代宋韻 建新時代文化地標

建筑是凝固的文明史，是思想的容器。

在距離良渚古城遺址公園不遠處，大路旁的杭州館乍一看并不顯眼。進了大門，才發(fā)現(xiàn)內有乾坤。

杭州館總建筑面積10.31萬平方米，包括主館一至五區(qū)、山體庫房、附屬用房共計13個單體。除卻“宏大”，身為一座肩負賡續(xù)中華文脈重任的建筑，應當擁有怎樣的氣韻？

“宋代文化是世界學術界公認的中國文化最高峰的表現(xiàn)?！痹诤贾蒺^主創(chuàng)設計師、普利茲克獎獲得者王澍看來，極具中國氣派和浙江辨識度的“現(xiàn)代宋韻”，就是杭州版本館的答案。

這種宋韻，意在審美。

杭州館是以“宋代園林”為主題進行方案設計的。但是，宋代的園林根本就沒有任何直接的參照物，南方宋代建筑也缺乏實物，宋畫中的山水意境便成了美學參考。建設在原有礦坑上的杭州館依山傍水。王澍團隊成員陸文宇介紹：“區(qū)別于北方館，館里利用原場地礦坑引入良渚港活水形成的‘南園北館、館園一體’，是杭州館的最大特色?！?/p>

梁思成有個比喻：觀賞西方建筑就像觀賞一幅油畫，從一個角度就能把其完整收入眼皮；而觀賞中國建筑就好比看一幅卷軸畫，隨著卷軸逐漸展開，建筑的全貌才慢慢映入眼簾。這與王澍認為的宋文化的“掩映之美”不謀而合。

正如兩位建筑大師所言，館中觀景的角度決定了所見的風景。場館系列建筑沿中軸線，由南向北層疊展開，大門、水榭、五大主館區(qū)加上山體庫房等不同功能的單體建筑之間，由連廊、展廊和繞山廊相互連接；大觀閣、觀景閣、長橋、水閣等建筑點綴其中，山環(huán)水繞，曲徑通透；建筑內外由檐廊轉換，漫步其中，有步移景易的空間變換。

若把視線由大景觀投向小景致，細節(jié)之處是民族文化之美的投射，也事關中國工匠在“現(xiàn)代”建筑中尋求突破的大膽求新。

青瓷，因極簡而極美的風格，是世界認可、浙江獨有的藝術品，也是杭州館大面積使用的建筑材料之一?！拔覀円郧啻煞掠瘢祁}‘文潤閣’的‘潤’?！蓖蹁f。

藝術青瓷屏扇設計靈感來自宋代屏風，項目主館一區(qū)至四區(qū)、南大門以及繞山廊的各樘青瓷屏扇可轉動方向合并成整體，類似宋畫中的畫屏概念。所有屏扇使用的約7萬片純手工燒制的青瓷片，均來自為其專門改良的龍泉窯。

1.杭州國家版本館館區(qū)中池。肖奕叁/攝 2.杭州國家版本館俯瞰圖。黃德燦/攝 3.杭州國家版本館南門。黃德燦/攝1. The artificial lake at the China National Archives of Publications and Culture (Hangzhou). Photo by Xiao Yisan.2. An aerial view of the China National Archives of Publications and Culture (Hangzhou). Photo by Huang Decan.3. The south gate of the China National Archives of Publications and Culture (Hangzhou). Photo by Huang Decan.

南書房一角。肖奕叁/攝A corner of the Nan Shufang, or Southern Studio. Photo by Xiao Yisan.

主書房一隅。黃德燦/攝Collections of national archives. Photo by Huang Decan.

“這規(guī)模在我國建筑史上也是前所未有?！?項目承建單位浙建集團項目經理徐錫平感嘆。同樣“前所未有”的還有木紋、竹紋清水混凝土澆筑。“館里12萬立方米、施工面積約9萬平方米的藝術肌理清水混凝土澆筑量，遠超全亞洲最大火車站—雄安新區(qū)火車站的3萬平方米清水混凝土?！?徐錫平說。

富有東方韻味的竹紋肌理與西方建構傳統(tǒng)的木紋肌理的相輔相成，賦予建筑溫潤氣息，就像中西文明的遙相呼應。而世界建筑史上首創(chuàng)的超20米大跨度的鋼木結構，則是用突破實現(xiàn)傳承，向中華傳統(tǒng)建筑致敬。

這種宋韻，更意在與自然和諧共處的智慧。

身處遺址保護區(qū)，杭州館建設看似受限，實際上與宋人崇尚自然、提倡“天人合一”的理念不謀而合。

“中國建筑的體系是建立在自然材料的真實建造上，它和人工化的西方工業(yè)化本質不同，甚至更加先進，其價值只有今天關于生態(tài)建造和可持續(xù)發(fā)展的理念才能真正與之對話?！蓖蹁f。

透過杭州館，我們看到現(xiàn)代人“因地制宜”的考量。

人們在修補自然—山體庫房的入口面原是斷壁。宋人喜茶，斷壁干脆就修復成茶壟，一排排地種上龍井茶樹，再現(xiàn)宋人清雅脫俗、淡泊悠遠的畫中意境。

人們在融入自然—中國傳統(tǒng)建筑的坡屋頂是世界聞名的特征，唐宋的雙曲屋面是最精彩的做法之一。青銅屋面是在宋代雙曲面屋頂基礎上的現(xiàn)代表達。自然接續(xù)原有山體輪廓線的建筑輪廓，仿佛也化成了遠山。

人們更在順應自然—館中會有一些看似不太流暢的設計：比如，某根柱子忽然斜出一個角度，是為一棵小樹留出生長空間；某一段連廊居然凌空而架，只為一座小山丘讓出一方土地。設計團隊甚至改過三次圖紙，只是為了給三棵和宋畫里畫得極相似的松樹讓道。

甚至，人們意圖用建筑來無視時間與生命的芥蒂，以超越自然。“夯土是極具中國本土特色的建筑材料，也是一種‘活’的材料?！标懳挠钜龑覀內リP注施工總量達2900多立方米的夯土墻，“‘百年磚千年土’。純天然的夯土，時間越久越是堅硬?！?不遠處的良渚文化遺址在數(shù)年里陸續(xù)被人發(fā)掘并展現(xiàn)于世人面前，也是以夯土筑城墻、壘地基?，F(xiàn)代的杭州館，也借此與中華五千年文明史相呼應。

文化是人類生生不息的一道光，而建筑就像是人類文化的紀念碑。杭州國家版本館一邊以浩大又無可借鑒的工程規(guī)格彰顯中國氣魄，一邊挽住了特色文化的風姿氣質，讓后人有跡可循。

傳承之館 護文化版本火種

版本是文化傳承的金種子，是文化自信的重要支撐。

且不說那些早已在歷史長河中或毀于戰(zhàn)火、或絕于禁毀、或滅于天災的古籍，即使是當代，仍不乏版本缺失的“遺憾”。比如，1949年的開國大典是有攝影攝像全程跟拍的。如果不是當年存放紀錄片的地方發(fā)生意外大火，我們今天能看到的開國大典彩色畫面，將不止從火中搶救回的那幾分鐘而已。

“杭州國家版本館‘以藏為主’，將古今中外載有中華文明印記的各類版本資源納入收藏范圍。”杭州國家版本館籌建組組長吳雪勇介紹，一張老照片、一個紀念勛章、一份舊報紙、甚至一卷老膠卷都屬于中華版本資源。

藏品是立館之本，是建館核心。立足浙江，面向長三角，輻射長江流域，杭州國家版本館通過單位呈繳、社會征集“雙線”并進的方式開展版本征集工作。

“浙江自古文化昌盛，珍本善本藏于民間?！焙贾蒺^藏品征集工作人員李東霖感嘆，民間收藏家們的熱情回應，體現(xiàn)了國人的胸懷與格局。

在2020年11月28日恩格斯誕辰200周年紀念日當天，一場多種版本的1140冊的《共產黨宣言》捐贈儀式，在浙江收藏界與黨史學界引起了轟動。該版本內容包含圖書、漫畫、音頻等，基本涵蓋了1888年至今全世界出版的各語種版本。其中，1888年英文版有恩格斯親自寫的序言，全世界存量極少，是早期的珍稀版本。

“一直以來，大家對書籍收藏的關注度都集中在古籍善本上。關于近現(xiàn)代革命文獻的系統(tǒng)性、主題性收藏尚未得到足夠重視?！?浙江圖書館館長褚樹青評價，這一系列版本種類全、質量高、系統(tǒng)性強，具備歷史文獻性、學術資料性和藝術代表性，是“善本中的善本”，不僅填補了國內外對《共產黨宣言》全面系統(tǒng)收藏的空白，在善本收藏領域更是具有標桿性和開創(chuàng)性，意義已經遠超館藏價值和書籍本身價值。

這批珍貴藏品的捐贈人，是浙江奧特萊斯廣場有限公司董事長金亮。從市場收購回這批藏品后，他主動聯(lián)系省里，希望為其找到一個合適的“歸宿”。不久后，金亮又捐贈了共計10種782冊（件）珍貴古籍，為浙江民間藏本捐贈史標注下新的刻度。

“收藏古籍是我個人的愛好，但是我也深知，我個人能力有限?！苯鹆撂寡?，雖然每個藏書家都希望擁有一座私人藏書樓，但好的收藏不應該被束之高閣，適得其所才能發(fā)揮價值。

與金亮有同樣情懷的人還有很多。翻譯家、出版家及革命作家黃源之子黃明明捐贈的2126件父親舊藏圖書、文獻與手稿等版本，為搶救和保護紅色版本資源助了一把力；著名版畫家陸放捐贈的平生創(chuàng)作的329件作品，為建設現(xiàn)代藝術名家版本典藏系列添了一塊磚；中國工程院院士、我國管理學界泰斗許慶瑞捐贈的麻省理工學院訪學時的英文筆記、學術著作等學術研究版本，為省里和國家對管理學的支持提供了佐證……

青瓷屏扇。陸文宇/攝A computer-controlled screen wall made of celadon. Photo by Lu Wenyu.

除了捐贈，杭州版本館還為藏品提供寄存代管服務。傳世經典《永樂大典》因戰(zhàn)亂分散于多個國家和地區(qū)的公私藏家手中。金亮早前從國外高價拍回的兩冊《永樂大典》就寄存在館內。

珍貴的版本“收來”后，更要“藏好”。

民間藏的條件有限。在隨隊接收藏品的過程中，杭州館征集和典藏方面的工作人員張曉俐發(fā)現(xiàn)，許多有價值的版本有的在普通空調間里“暴殄天物”，有的甚至只能躺在抽屜里泛黃。“版本具有唯一性與不可再生性。我們希望讓收藏者后顧無憂?！?/p>

作為國家文化基因的種子庫和版本資源災備中心，杭州國家版本館建設有4萬多平方米的保藏庫房?！跋冗M的24小時恒溫恒濕館藏環(huán)境監(jiān)控和儲存設施，以及建設穩(wěn)定潔凈的熏蒸、消殺、風淋、脫酸等文物保護技術設備，是杭州館藏品保存保護的核心建設內容?！睆垥岳榻B，針對不同版本類型，館里還打造了專屬的儲藏空間。功能完善的技術用房，也能滿足紙質乃至青銅器等類型版本的維護、保養(yǎng)和修復需要。

涓滴入海，方能匯聚磅礴之力。截至目前，杭州館已接受單位呈繳、社會捐獻的各類版本97萬多件（冊）。各類藏品征集工作仍在進行。

一座文化寶庫，就這樣在各方助力下日益完善、豐盈。

普惠之路 “聰明地”藏與用

文化不僅僅用來收藏，更需要普惠傳播?？萍紵o疑是加快實現(xiàn)中華優(yōu)秀版本資源開發(fā)利用的利器。

據(jù)悉，在“一總三分”（北京中央總館、廣州、西安、杭州分館）中，杭州館是唯一建設有數(shù)字展廳的，總面積達520平方米。

“一方面，有些版本，比如《永樂大典》，許多人乍一聽可能只有一個模糊概念，并非全然理解。另一方面，出于保護角度，有些珍稀版本不適于長時間放在公共空間展示?！焙贾蒺^數(shù)字化建設工作人員陳峰透露，數(shù)字展館將會被打造成為一個沉浸式多媒體互動空間，填補實體展覽無法滿足的空白。

開館時，館里將重點打造良渚玉琮王、越王劍、吳越國時期《雷峰塔經》、《富春山居圖》、《永樂大典》、龍井茶商標等珍稀版本的裸眼3D展示。屆時，整個館區(qū)從眼觀之處，到腳踩之所，將會有360度全環(huán)繞的交互式版本展示、開放式知識探索模式，讓觀眾在生動的數(shù)字展品中，體驗實體展所無法感受的細節(jié)，開啟富有啟發(fā)性、體驗性的“漫游”之旅。

沒有展品數(shù)字化就沒有數(shù)字化展覽。張曉俐認為，“版本也并非是脆弱品，數(shù)字化能夠延長它們的生命”。

為方便版本的儲存、展示、共享，杭州館將對其實施高精度數(shù)字化采集。目前，館里已完成對金亮捐贈的五代雕版《陀羅尼經咒》、吳越國時期《雷峰塔經》、宋刻《太學新增合璧聯(lián)珠萬卷菁華后集》和元明刻本《五代史記》《集千家注批點杜工部詩集》等，以及清代顧炎武的《天下郡國利病書》手抄本、民國時期北方民間祖宗像等藏品的數(shù)字化采集。而1000多平方米的數(shù)字版本保存數(shù)據(jù)中心，亦能滿足全部數(shù)字資源安全存儲10年以上。

而這些，只是杭州館數(shù)字“新基建”中的一部分。針對到場觀眾，提供在線預約、一碼入館、隨身導覽、AR實景導航、AI語音問答及多人交互等全流程現(xiàn)場服務；針對在線觀眾，提供VR直播、3D云漫游、體驗式學習、版本知識互動、展覽數(shù)字化應用……在種種數(shù)字服務的背后，杭州館的“智慧”，關鍵在于數(shù)字思維。

“用數(shù)據(jù)連接公眾，能催生新的場景應用和數(shù)據(jù)驅動創(chuàng)新?！遍_館當天，一款功能強大的專屬小程序將同步上線。在內測手機上，系統(tǒng)運維相關負責人向記者演示了許多國內文博行業(yè)首創(chuàng)的應用場景。

例如，有意愿捐贈或托管版本的藏家，可以直接將照片、藏品背景等信息在小程序里上傳；館內研究人員—來自浙江大學、復旦大學等機構的專家—在后臺電腦獲取內容后加以評判，擇選有價值的版本入藏，并對其加以研究；研究成果并非論文，而是以一種展品講解的語言，反饋回系統(tǒng) ；待有一日版本展覽時，觀眾可以在小程序里按圖索驥，找到相關講解；不能抵達現(xiàn)場的捐贈人或托管人，則可以隨時通過嵌入在小程序中的“藏品狀態(tài)關注窗口”，了解自己的寶貝究竟是在展覽，還是正在庫房接受保養(yǎng)或修復。

與此同時，小程序還與浙里辦、浙里好玩、志愿浙江等浙江數(shù)字化改革既有成果平臺的技術對接，打通版本館內外業(yè)務和服務。

在杭州國家版本館，一件藏品的價值，之所以能夠流暢轉化依托的是其研發(fā)的國內首套融合圖書、文物、檔案管理標準的藏品管理系統(tǒng)。借助系統(tǒng)，藏品實現(xiàn)了征集、鑒定、采集、編目、入庫、盤庫、展覽、借出等“全生命周期”的智能化管理。

和小程序同步上線的，還有一個設備、人員、環(huán)境互連互通的信息物理世界。那是為工作人員打造的“元宇宙”。其中集結了館內觀眾分布、展柜溫濕度條件，甚至工程各管道情況等展示場館運行相關的數(shù)據(jù)，以實現(xiàn)便捷高效的數(shù)智化管理。

“文博行業(yè)的數(shù)字化發(fā)展，絕不是僅停留在與大眾進行互動交流建設的表層觸網，也不是線上與線下博物館的虛實割裂?！眳茄┯孪嘈?，杭州館只有實現(xiàn)從管理運營到服務公眾理念與方式全新變革，才是一座新時代的文化工程、一座立在浪尖上的高水平智慧館。

7 月底，杭州國家版本館落成并開館。杭州館將攜“重要窗口”主題版本展、江南版本文化概覽、浙江文化研究工程成果展、浙江歷史文化名人專題展，以及重要藏品的數(shù)字展覽，真誠地迎接四方來客。

這座傲然出世的文化地標，將如何體現(xiàn)浙江打造新時代文化高地的雄心？我們翹首以待。

China National Archives of Publications and Culture(Hangzhou): Renewing Chinese Civilization

By Yan Lili

Some people say that China’s continuous civilization for millennia has made it a dynamic and prosperous country. As the carrier of Chinese civilization, archives play an important role in promoting China’s cultural inheritance. In this sense, creating the China National Archives of Publications and Culture (the National Archives for short) is a major cultural project in the new era. With significance in cultural security and revitalization, it has been included in China’s 14th Five-Year Plan for economic and social development.

In 2019 when the construction of the National Archives began, the name of the China National Archives of Publications and Culture (Hangzhou), referred to as Hangzhou Archives below,appeared in the planning on the formation of a new district in Hangzhou. Designed to promote the preservation, exhibition,research and exchanges of the archival heritage, Hangzhou Archives functions as the repository of the National Archives in case of potential disasters and of the special editions mainly from Yangtze River Delta, and the resource center of archival collections from eastern China.

With the big goal to promote Chinese culture and as an important showcase of the spirit of Zhejiang, Hangzhou Archives has been included in the 14th Five-Year Plan of the province. The provincial government has set up a special team led by the Party secretary and the governor of the province for the project. On the occasion of the inauguration ceremony, the reporter walked into the newly built cultural landmark, unveiling its unique charm and wisdom.

Not far from Liangzhu Ancient City Ruins Park, Hangzhou Archives seems inconspicuous at first glance, but inside, it is a whole different world.

杭州國家版本館文潤閣。黃德燦/攝Wenrun Ge or the Wenrun Pavilion at the China National Archives of Publications and Culture (Hangzhou). Photo by Huang Decan.

With a total floor space of 103,100 square meters, it is a grand complex with 13 building units. Designed to preserve the cultural heritage of the country, what other distinctive features,apart from its grandness, does it possess? According to Wang Shu,chief architect of Hangzhou Archives, the answer lies in the culture of the Song dynasty (960-1279) that represents the peak period of Chinese culture. Hence, the design theme is “a garden of the Song style”. Without actual gardens or buildings from the Song dynasty to consult, the design team turned to the Song landscape paintings for aesthetic inspiration. To quote Lu Wenyu, a team member,“The skillful diversion of running water from the Liangzhu Harbor through the former mining pits in the construction site has turned the garden design into reality, making it the most striking characteristic of Hangzhou Archives”.

It is believed by the architects that the difference in the angle of view determines how much of a scene one can see, which is also applicable to Hangzhou Archives. Walking inside along its central axis, one can see a landscape painting unfolding slowly from south to north in front of him: building units of varied functions are connected by corridors, dotted with pavilions and bridges, and surrounded by hills and water.

If shifting the focus from the big view to the small details,one will notice the brilliant creativity Chinese garden masters have exerted on the modern building. One such example is the extensive use of celadon, a unique green ware produced in Zhejiang. Throughout Hangzhou Archives, a great feature is the many standing celadon screens, an inspiration from the painted screens in the Song dynasty paintings, and all the tiles used for the screens were tailor-made in the Longquan kiln, in Lishui city in southwestern Zhejiang province. According to Xu Xiping, project manager of Zhejiang Construction Investment Group, the practice is the first of its kind in the history of Chinese architecture. Another unprecedented instance was the impressive amount of textured fair-faced concrete used for the 90,000-square-meter construction area, 60,000 square meters more than that of Xiong’an Railway Station, the largest one in Asia. The third noteworthy detail is Hangzhou Archives’ steel-wood structure with an over-20-meter span, the largest ever in the history of world architecture, which is a breakthrough to pay homage to the Chinese architectural heritage.

The artistic conception of Hangzhou Archives also shows the wisdom in harmonizing with nature. Its construction is not limited by its location in the preservation zone of Liangzhu culture. Instead, it embodies the concept of nature held by Chinese ancestors in the Song dynasty, i.e. simulating nature by adapting and utilizing only the available physical space.

A great many examples of adaptation can be found in the architecture. First, the entrance to a repository, originally part of a hill, has been renovated into tea fields with Dragon Well green tea plants arranged in narrow rows, which is an artful reflection of the Song people’s fondness for tea. Second, sloped roofs represent a prominent roo fing style of traditional Chinese architecture, among which hyperbolic roofing popular in the Tang and Song dynasties is a most marvelous type. Thedesign team adapted the roofing with celadon ceramic slates, thus making a natural transition from the green hills surrounding the building. Third, the seemingly unnatural designs inside the Archives are mostly made to preserve some plants or hills. The next instance is about rammed earth that has a long tradition in China. According to Lu, the Archives features rammedearth walls constructed with over 2,900 cubic meters of the natural raw material, which will make the walls even more endurable with the passage of time. This way, the modern Hangzhou Archives echoes the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City, whose walls and foundations were both made of rammed earth as well.

China National Archives of Publications and Culture(Hangzhou) is an unprecedented monument that boasts grandness and showcases unique Chinese culture, leaving evidence for future generations seeking a look at the glorious past.

南書房（水榭）。肖奕叁/攝A water-side pavilion. Photo by Xiao Yisan.

According to Wu Xueyong, head of the preparatory team,Hangzhou Archives acts as a record keeper, collecting and preserving various kinds of bibliological materials, such as an old photograph or newspaper, medal, or even a reel of film, all of which tell the stories of Chinese civilization.

The archives’ acquisition activities, targeting both individual and institutional donors, have been carried out not only in eastern China where the archives is located but also in central and western regions of the country. To quote Li Donglin, a staff member of the archives, “With profound cultural heritage, Zhejiang boasts a large number of rare and antiquarian book collectors who are visionary big-picture thinkers willing to donate their collections”.

November 28, 2020, the day that marked Friedrich Engels’200th birth anniversary, witnessed a donation ceremony of 1,140 copies ofin multiple formats including books, cartoons and sound recordings, and in different languages since the publication of the 1888 edition. Among them, the 1888 English edition with the preface written by Engels is extremely rare. The donor is Jin Liang, president of Zhejiang Outlet Square Co., Ltd. After his acquisition of the collection, he offered to donate it in the hope that it would be taken good care of.Afterwards, he made another record-breaking donation, 782 copies of precious ancient books in 10 categories. As a book collector,Jin wishes to have a private library to house his own collections.However, he also believes that the precious books should be kept in a proper place so as to realize their worth.

Jin is not alone in this. Huang Mingming donated 2,126 books, documents and manuscripts inherited from his father,Huang Yuan, a translator, publisher and writer. The printmaker Lu Fang donated 329 pieces of his works. Xu Qingrui, academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering, donated his lecture notes he took as a visiting scholar at MIT, and the academic books he wrote.

Apart from donation, Hangzhou Archives also accepted private pieces on deposit. The two volumes of, the world’s largest known encyclopedia, which Jin bought at a high auction price, are on deposit with the Archives.While conducting collecting activities, Zhang Xiaoli, an Archives staff member, has found that valuable collections can barely survive in the hands of most collectors. The Archives, however,is able to take professional measures for handling the unique and non-renewable pieces, either as gifts or on deposit. According to Zhang, the Archives boasts a 40,000-square-meter repository with up-to-date facilities to ensure 24-hour stable temperature and relative humidity and protect records from pollutants, all of which constitute the archives’ core measures for protection and preservation of its holdings. Additionally, the Archives has prepared exclusive storage space for various types of collections and well-equipped technical rooms for maintenance and repair.

Up to now, Hangzhou Archives has accepted a vast range of collections totaling 970,000 pieces from individual and institutional donors, whose contribution will eventually turn the Archives into a treasure trove of Chinese culture.

Cultural diffusion is just as important as cultural preservation.Therefore, technology is indispensable in optimizing the use of Chinese archival heritage.

Among the China National Archives of Publications and Culture and its three branches in Guangzhou, Xi’an and Hangzhou respectively, Hangzhou Archives is the only one that has a digital exhibition hall. According to Chen Feng, responsible for digitization at the Archives, in order to help visitors fully understand the archival documents and protect precious records unsuitable for long-term display, digitization is the solution. The 520-square-meter digital exhibition hall provides an immersive and interactive experience for visitors, filling the gap created by physical exhibitions. Presently, the Archives focuses on the nakedeye 3D LED displays of precious resources like those about the King of Liangzhu Jade Cong, the Sword of Goujian (king of the State of Yue), and the Buddhist scriptures found in Leifeng Pagoda. The 360-degree virtual tours will enable visitors to explore the compelling and inspiring archival collections.

Digital technologies help extend the life expectancy of archival materials. So far, digitization of seven major collections has been completed and the archives’ 1,000-square-meter data center is big enough to house all of its digitized collections for over a decade.

Additionally, as part of its “new infrastructure construction project”, the Archives provides both on-site and online visitors with a large array of digital services. A noteworthy example is a powerful WeChat mini program to be launched on the day the Archives is open. It has many pioneering features not yet seen in China’s cultural industry and easy access to other popular apps created as a result of Zhejiang’s digital revolution. What’s more,in order to explore the value of the records, the Aarchives has developed an archival information management system covering the 8 stages a record goes through, the first of its kind in China.For its staff, Hangzhou Archives has created a “metaverse”: a virtual world of information that builds connection among equipment,staff, and their environment. The operational data presented by the “metaverse” has made smart management possible.

What lies behind all the above practices is digital thinking,the key to the smart Hangzhou Archives. As far as Wu Xueyong is concerned, the digitization in the cultural industry means more than empowering communication with the public by using internet technologies or complementing physical museums with virtual ones. It is nothing but conceptual and managerial innovations that can make Hangzhou Archives a high-level cultural facility in the new era.

Set to open in mid to late July, Hangzhou Archives will host several well-prepared exhibitions such as the Iconic Achievements of the Important “Showcase”, An Overview of Jiangnan Bibliological Culture, Zhejiang Cultural Research Project, Cultural Celebrities in Zhejiang, and a major digital collections show.

Will Hangzhou Archives, a grand cultural landmark,eventually achieve its lofty goal of promoting Chinese cultural inheritance? Time will tell.