Guangming Bookhouse stands on an old street. The frontage is modest — half reading room, half exhibition room. We gather old books, ink rubbings and painting albums, and do the small things that belong to beauty education.
Our history
- ×××× — The Bookhouse opens as a single street-front shop, selling old books and stationery.
- ×××× — An exhibition room is added; we begin collecting and displaying rubbings and albums.
- ×××× — Our plates are sorted and reprinted in volumes, so readers can look closely.
- ×××× — QR codes are printed beside the plates, so readers can view them in high resolution.
- ×××× — The website is rebuilt; the catalogue of works and collections goes online.
Mission
We want to be a “slow” bookhouse: books are slow, and looking at paintings is slow too. To see a fine plate a little more clearly, and to leave the brushwork on old paper for those who come after us — that is the whole of the care in this small undertaking.
Plans
- Sort and reprint our plates year by year, expanding the online catalogue;
- Hold small exhibitions of collected pieces and works;
- Offer free guided introductions to beauty education for students and the local community.
A word from the keeper
“Books are slow, and so is light. May this place slow you down.”
— The keeper of Guangming Bookhouse