Golden Autumn Pushu Festival

Pushu is an old Chinese tradition where people take books out from their studies or libraries out in the sun to drive out the moisture and mold that may cause damage to the books. It is not a common practice anymore with the digitization of books and improvement of housing conditions.

However, recently Fudan held an event titled Golden Autumn Pushu Festival inside Guanghua Building, the most notable landmark on Handan Campus, to celebrate this tradition. The festival on September 24 had on exhibition rare antiquarian books, ancient inkstones, and Xuan paper, a type of rice paper for Chinese calligraphy and painting. Calligraphers and book restoration experts were also present to display their exquisite skills for the visitors.

Four-zhang Xuan Paper, the world's largest handmade sheet of paper with 14 meters in length and 4 meters in width is donated to Fudan University by Sanxing Xuan Paper Factory at Jing County, Anhui Province

Inkstone dating back to Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-24 AD) 

  Inkstone that imitates weights used in Qin Dynasty (221- 206 BC), made in Qing Qynasty (1644-1912)

Book restoration expert  Zhao Jiafu  displays the traditional  handicraft  of  Chuanta (reproducing the texts, images and patterns by wrapping the inscribed metal or stones up with paper and brushing ink on it).

Woodblock print artist Ni Jianming demonstrates the traditional skill of printing text, images or patterns on woodblocks.

Book restoration expert Huang Zhengyi shows how to draw column-dividing lines as part of the book restoration process.

Students learn the traditional way of bookbinding using threads at one of the hands-on activity booths.