Other Cities’ Distribution Institutions for Publishing Books in Modern Chinese Libraries: Taking Huating Bookstore, the Shanghai General Distribution Office of Modern Zhejiang Library, as an Example（中国近代图书馆出版图书的外埠发行机构——以近代浙江图书馆的上海总发行所华亭书屋为例）

HE Dan, WANG Xirong^

Many modern Chinese libraries h**e established distribution agencies in other cities to distribute books published or sold on consignment. Huating Bookstore, which was once the Shanghai General Distribution Office of Zhejiang Library in modern times, is one of them. On the basis of a brief description of modern Zhejiang Library and its book publishing, as well as the overview of Huating Bookstore, the paper introduces and analyzes the ZPL Publishing Book Catalogue sent by Huating Bookstore, and the ZPL publishing and selling consignment books issued by Huating Bookstore. It points out that Huating Bookstore is a bridge between the ZPL located in Hangzhou and various retail ZPL publishing bookstores in Shanghai. Their production and sales relationship is a mutually beneficial one.

Keywords: modern Chinese libraries, Zhejiang Library, Huating Bookstore, Yu Heqin, book publishing and distribution

Introduction

It is a common practice in modern Chinese publishing institutions to distribute or sell foreign books while operating their own editions (for example, Shanghai Yadong Library/亚东图书馆 was once the Shanghai General Distribution Office of Peking University’s Publishing Department, and the Book Sales Department of Peking University’s Publishing Department once sold books on behalf of Shanghai Yadong Library). Many modern Chinese libraries h**e set up distribution institutions in other cities to distribute books published or sold on consignment. Huating Bookstore (华亭书屋), which used to be the Shanghai General Distribution Office of Zhejiang Library in modern times, is one of them.

On November 1, 1934, Yu Heqin (虞和钦, 1879-1944, whose courtesy name was “Zixun”/自勋, also known as “Mingxin”/铭新), a practitioner of the sinicization of science and a new intellectual, opened Huating Bookstore with assets of about 2,000 yuan at No. 171 Henan Road, middle area of Qipan Street (棋盘街), Shanghai. Yu Heqin served as the manager, he published and distributed books, received and sold different goods, including ancient and modern books, historical inscriptions, celebrity calligraphy and paintings, Chinese and Western stationery, and educational toys (Popular Education Unit of the Fourth Division of Shanghai Municipality Education Bureau, 1935; Chen, 1936). In early 1936, Yu Heqin relocated the Huating Bookstore to No. 225 Yuyuan Road (愚园路), Jing’an Temple (静安寺). Not long after, he selected some old books from his collection of over 100,000 books and displayed them in the Huating Bookstore, including some precious books, such as Imperial Readings of the Taiping Era (《太平御览》). This beh**ior was highly appreciated by scholars (Fen, 1936). On April 7, 1935, the advertisement in the 4th edition of the Shen Bao (《申报》) stated: “Zhejiang Provincial Library (abbreviated as ZPL, the same below—Author’s note on this article) publishes books, various books will be mailed on request. Huating Bookstore, No. 171 Qipan Street, Henan Road, Shanghai General Distribution Office.” (ZPL, 1935b). Huating Bookstore is the Shanghai General Distribution Center for books published by ZPL, which can expand the variety of books in Huating Bookstore stores and increase its counter sales revenue. At the end of 1936, Huating Bookstore was relocated from No. 225 Yuyuan Road to No. 194 Baike Road (白克路, now Fengyang Road/凤阳路). Afterwards, the Shanghai General Distribution Office of the ZPL was changed to Qianqingtang (千顷堂) Bookstore located at No. 296 Hankou Road (汉口路, commonly known as “Sanma Road”/三马路) in Shanghai (now the intersection of Shandong Middle Road/山东中路 and Hankou Road), with Xie Zufang (谢祖芳), Yu Heqin’s fellow-townsman in the same county, the manager of the Qianqingtang Bookstore (Qianqingtang Publishing House was merged into Shanghai Health Publishing House in January 1956, and in September 1958, it merged with other publishing houses to become Shanghai Science and Technology Health Publishing House. In 1959, Shanghai Science and Technology Health Publishing House was renamed as Shanghai Science and Technology Publishing House).

Overview of Modern Zhejiang Library and Its Book Publishing

In May 1949, Hangzhou was liberated and the ZPL was taken over by the Ministry of Culture and Education of the Military Control Commission. It was named “Zhejiang Library” in 1953 and has not been renamed until today. The predecessor of the Zhejiang Library was the Hangzhou Bibliotheca (which no longer existed due to multiple renovations). It was founded in November of the 26th year of the Guangxu (光绪) reign (in 1900) and rebuilt into the Zhejiang Bibliotheca (It was located at No. 74 Xinmin Road, Dafangboli, Hangzhou, and is now located at Jiefang East Road, and the original building no longer exists) in the 29th year of the Guangxu reign (in 1903). In the first year of the Xuantong (宣统) reign (in 1909), the Zhejiang Official Bookstore was merged into the Zhejiang Bibliotheca and rebuilt. Subsequently, the Zhejiang Bibliotheca was renamed as “Zhejiang Library”. In June of the third year of the Xuantong reign (in July 1911), the Wenlan P**ilion located at No. 25 Gushan Road, Hangzhou, along with its collection of the Si Ku Quan Shu (《四库全书) and other books collected by other library, was all taken over and kept by the Zhejiang Library. In the second year of the Republic of China (in 1913), it was renamed as the “Zhejiang Provincial Library”; On March 25th of that year, the library located on Gushan Road on the west side of Wenlan P**ilion officially opened and served as the main library. The Zhejiang Bibliotheca, originally located on Xinmin Road, serves as a branch. In January of the fifth year of the Republic of China (in 1916), the ZPL was renamed as the “Zhejiang Public Library”; In June of the 16th year of the Republic of China (in 1927), it was renamed as the “Zhejiang Provincial Library” and was under the jurisdiction of National Third Sun Yat-sen University (renamed as “National Zhejiang University” in February 1928), until the trial implementation of the university district system ceased in August 1929. From 1927 to 1929, National Third Sun Yat-sen University established the ZPL Building on Daxue Road (located at 67 Daxue Road, Hangzhou, now 102 Daxue Road) and managed it until December 15, 1931. In January 1932, Chen Xunci (1901-1991, whose courtesy name was “Shuliang”) was appointed as the director of the ZPL; On September 15th, the ZPL, located on Daxue Road, officially opened to the public. During the period of the Chinese People’s War of Total Resistance against Japanese Aggression, the ZPL was relocated to Jiande, Yongkang, Lishui, Longquan, and Nantian Township Qingtian County (now Wencheng County, Wenzhou City). Its Daxue Road General Library became a Japanese military camp, the Xinmin Road Branch was renamed as the pseudo “Zhejiang Provincial Library”, and the Gushan Road Library became a branch. At the end of 1945, the ZPL relocated to Hangzhou. By August 1946, the collected books from Wenlan P**ilion in Qingmuguan, Chongqing, including the Si Ku Quan Shu and other similar books, as well as books from Qingyuan and other places, were also returned. In January 1946, the Xinmin Branch (It renamed Zhongzheng Street Branch at that time) reopened; In September of the same year, the Gushan Road Branch reopened and became the main library; In October 1947, the Daxue Road Library, which was shared with Zhejiang University, reopened. The “Modern Zhejiang Library” in this article refers to the Zhejiang Library in different periods from 1900 to 1949, including the Hangzhou Bibliotheca, Zhejiang Bibliotheca, Zhejiang Public Library, Zhejiang Provincial Library, etc.

In the first year of the Xuantong reign (in 1909), Zhejiang Official Book Bureau was merged into Zhejiang Library, and was renamed as the “Zhejiang Library Official Book Printing and Sales Office”. While utilizing a portion of the library’s annual budget, it also inherited the old business of Zhejiang Official Book Bureau, thus forming a unique tradition of concurrently serving as a publishing business. At the beginning, the library was equipped with a printing department and a distribution department set up by the Printing Office. The printing department was located at the Sanzhong Temple in Zhongzheng Lane, which was originally located in the collection office of the Zhejiang Official Book Bureau, while the distribution department was located in the original Zhejiang Bibliotheca of Dafangbo. In the autumn of 1929, a new type of lead printing machinery was added to the Printing Office, which was divided into two departments: the lead printing department and the wood printing department. The lead printing department was located at No. 5 Shuilusi Lane, and the wood printing department was located at Sanzhong Temple in Zhongzheng Lane. After the opening of the General Library on Daxue Road, the wood printing department moved to the Gushan Branch. The library was originally a director system, which was changed to a director system in 1927 and resumed in August 1930. The original system of the library was the Librarian system, which was changed to the Director system in 1927 and restored in August 1930. Whether it is the Librarian system or the Director system, there are printing offices attached to the organizational system of the library. According to the Overview of Zhejiang Provincial Library (《浙江省立图书馆概况》) compiled and printed in April 1934 and April 1936, the librarian of the ZPL is Chen Xunci. The section on “Compilation and Publishing” and the section on “Overview of Attached Printing Offices” both contain similar statements: “Our library inherits the old business of the former Zhejiang Official Publishing House, and printing and selling over 200 types of woodblock printed Chinese studies books is actually a huge engine for our library’s publishing business. In addition, our library is continuously promoting the printing and distribution of its collection of rare books, as well as the compilation of index books, as well as the publication of regular publications.” “This institution is affiliated with the ZPL, and there is one director in addition to the librarian who is responsible for the custody and operation of this institution. The branches are as follows: (1) Wood Printing Department. The Wooden Printing Department has preserved the square wooden blocks used for carving books which was donated by old Zhejiang Official Book Bureau and other various parties, which h**e been successively printed (in the Gushan Branch, No. 25, the south of the Broken Bridge). (2) Lead Printing Department. The Print Department was established in the 18th year of the Republic of China (in 1929) to print both the publications of the library and the external prints (at No. 7, Shuilusi Lane) (For example, Xiong Shili, the founder of New Consciousness-only Doctrine, published the classical Chinese version of New Consciousness Theory (《新唯识论》) in ZPL at his own expense in October 1932—note of this article’s author). (3) Distribution Department. The distribution department is the book sales office, which sells wooden and lead printed books published by the library, and also acts as an agent for the sales of publications from major domestic libraries (The sales department is located in the Xinmin Branch of Xinmin Road, and the correspondence department is located in the General Library of Daxue Road).” (ZPL, 1934b, p.10, 13; 1936b, p.15-16, 18).

Overview of Huating Bookstore as the Shanghai General Distribution Office of ZPL

Huating Bookstore was established on November 1, 1934 and soon became the Shanghai General Distribution Office of ZPL. The reason for this may be related to Yu Heqin, the founder and operator of Huating Bookstore, and Chen Xunci, the director of ZPL. Chen Xunzheng (1872-1943, also known as Qihuai, Wuye, and Tianying) was Chen Xunci’s eldest cousin, who provided great help and support for Chen Xunci’s academic and growth. Chen Xunzheng and Yu Heqin were of similar age and had close relationships. They were both new intellectuals, and in their early years, they co-founded the Ningbo Vernacular Newspaper (《宁波白话报》) with others. Later on, although they did not work with each other, they became literary friends. When they published their own collections of literature and poetry, they did not forget to send them to each other. For example, in 1920, after receiving the Tianying Poetry Collection (《天婴室集》) printed by Chen Xunzheng in 1919, Yu Heqin wrote a series of poems in gratitude, such as Obtaining Chen Wuxie’s Tianying Poetry CollectionPassionate Sending Poems (《得陈无邪天婴室集乐甚 火急寄诗》), Answering Chen Wuye (《答陈无邪》), and Titling Tianying Poetry Collection (《题天婴室集》). In August 1924, on his way back from Beijing to his hometown, Yu Heqin was invited by Li Sihao, the director of the preparatory office for the West Lake Expo, to Hangzhou to begin preparations and selected Wansongling as the site of the Expo (which was unsuccessful due to the Jiangsu Zhejiang War that began on September 3, 1924). Yu Heqin wrote a poem titled “Urge Wuye to Return to Hangzhou” (《促无邪回杭州》) to urge Chen Xunzheng to return to Hangzhou.

Huating Bookstore mainly engages in the sale of ancient books, as well as book engr**ing and distribution, and has a certain influence in the book industry. According to the statistics, from November 1934 to February 1937, Huating Bookstore published at least books such as Billiards Art (《台球术》, first edition in May 1935), New Style Social Dance Art (《新式社交舞术》, first edition in September 1935), Cricket Breeding Methods (《蟋蟀饲养法》, first edition in September 1935), Methods of People’s Refuge during Wartime (《战时人民避难法》, first edition in February 1937), among which New Style Social Dance Art and Methods of People’s Refuge during Wartime had a significant impact on social life.

New Style Social Dance Art was a specialized textbook for the International Dance School under the presidency of Yu Heqin. It was a relatively new and comprehensive book among many social dance books at that time, and was highly f**ored by dancers from other dance schools. It was printed multiple times and reprinted less than six months later. On January 15, 1936, New Style Social Dance Art was republished, adding one page of “Holding Posture and Balance Movement” illustrations and several pages of advertisements, which read: “Huating Bookstore also serves as the Shanghai General Distribution Office of ZPL, selling woodcut ancient books, lead printed new books... commissioned sales of ThePalace Museum Weekly (《故宫周刊》) and photocopies of precious books published by the Palace Museum in Beiping.” (Chen, 1936, end of volume advertising page 1). During the Comprehensive Anti-Japanese War, the Huating Bookstore operated by Yu Heqin closed down, but the International Dance School, which he served as the headmaster, reopened. This dance school and other dance schools in Shanghai (such as the Bailemen Dance Art Specialized College) still h**e a demand for New Style Social Dance Art. Therefore, Yu Heqin published an updated version of New Style Social Dance Art under the name of “Shanghai International Dance Research Society” in December 1940, which was sold by the Shiyun Bookstore (时运书局) at No. 16 Datongli (大通里), Baike Road.

In February 1937, Huating Bookstore published the Methods of People’s Refuge during Wartime edited by Guo Zhiping, a former staff member of the Shanxi Provincial Department of Education. This book was listed in the “February New Books” of the Life Bookstore Book Catalogue compiled by the Hankou Branch of Life Bookstore in February 1937; Before and after the outbreak of the Shanghai Anti-Japanese War on August 13, Shanghai’s Shen Bao and News (《新闻报》) published advertisements for this book, namely the 12th edition of Shen Bao on August 10, 1937, and the 11th edition of Shen Bao on August 12, 1937, There is a description of:

various shelter laws and air defense, drug prevention, and emergency rescue laws during wartime, which are essential books for the people during wartime. The actual price is six cents, and wholesale is more affordable. They are published by Huating Bookstore at 194 Baike Road in Shanghai, and sold on behalf of various bookstores and stationery departments of major department stores. (Yu, 1937b)

In the 5th edition of the News on August 15, 1937, and the 4th edition of the News on August 18, 1937, there were descriptions of:

various shelter laws and air defense, drug defense, and emergency rescue laws during wartime, which were essential books for the people during wartime. The actual price was six cents, and wholesale would be more affordable. The book was published at Huating Bookstore, No. 194 Baike Road, Shanghai, and sold on behalf of various bookstores and stationery departments on Fourth Street (i.e. Fuzhou Road - note by the author of this article). (Yu, 1937a)

The books published by the Huating Bookstore mentioned above were also distributed by Yu Heqin at the bookstore.

On April 7, 1935, the ZPL’s advertisement “Notice to Public and Private Library Collectors” (《敬告公私藏书家》) in the 4th edition of the Shen Bao states:

The library has been established for more than 30 years and has three facilities, with a collection of 270000 books and an affiliated printing office. It inherits the wood printing business of the former Zhejiang Official Book Bureau and has a long history. It has a collection of over 180000 plates, with meticulous proofreading and review, and has a good reputation. Since the Republic of China, lead stone seals h**e been added again, and the business has also been expanded. There are occasional publications, which are also very excellent. The Official Book Bureau was founded in the sixth year of the Tongzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty, and has been in operation for 69 years without interruption. It is rare to compare it to other provinces. The library is now self-motivated and has restored its previous regulations. It is now public and should not pursue fame and fortune. The library always sells books at low prices to fulfill its mission of promoting culture, and offers special discounts of 10% to schools and libraries. Most of the series of books are **ailable for sale to benefit the academic community. May the public and private collectors at home and abroad learn from their fine customs and offer preferential procurement. Thank you very much. We hereby disclose the main items of each printed and sold book below. There is also a detailed list, which can be sent upon request. (ZPL, 1935a)  

The “detailed list” mentioned here refers tothe Catalogue of Books Published by Zhejiang Provincial Library (《浙江省立图书馆出版图书目录》) compiled and printed by ZPL at that time.

The Catalogue of Books Published by ZPL Sent by Huating Bookstore

The Huating Bookstore served as the Shanghai General Distribution Office of the ZPL from November 1934 to December 1936. Therefore, Catalogue of Books Published by Zhejiang Provincial Library it sent should h**e been compiled and printed before November 1934 to December 1936. During this period, after searching, it was found that the Catalogue of Books Published by Zhejiang Provincial Library compiled by ZPL included the Catalogue of Books Published by Zhejiang Provincial Library compiled in October 1934 and September 1936, respectively.

Through searching the book channel of Duxiu, there is a record stamped with the seal of “Shanghai General Distribution Office”, which is the published book catalog of ZPL. The book was compiled and printed in October of the 23rd year of the Republic of China (in 1934). Its cover is printed with: Provincial Library, Hangzhou Daxue Road; Correspondence Department, Hangzhou Xinmin Road, Provincial Library Xinmin Branch; The back cover is Introduction to ZPL.

This book is a detailed bibliography compiled and printed by the ZPL for Huating Bookstore to send to readers at their request. The book is divided into five parts, namely “ZPL Publishing Wooden Printed Bibliography”, “ZPL Publishing Lead Printed Bibliography”, “ZPL Selling Consigned Bibliography”, “Measures for Purchasing Books by Letters from Other Places”, and “Wholesale Regulations of ZPL”. In addition, there are advertisements for some publications, preferential treatment measures, and handling printed materials from ZPL. Wooden Printed Bibliography is a catalog of wooden printed books published by the ZPL, which is divided into the Confucian classics, History section, Philosophical writings and Miscellaneous works, the Series Department (which is divided into the General Department and Sub items), the Map Department, and the Stele Sticker Department, with a total of about 230 types (each of the Series Subitems has a total of about 775 types). The lead printed bibliography is a catalog of lead printed books published by the ZPL, including 21 types of books such as the “Kuaigeshi Shishanfang Series” and Book Selection (《图书之选购》); The list of consignment books for sale is a catalog of publications from major domestic libraries such as the Jiangsu Provincial Library of Chinese Studies and the National Beiping Library, as well as self-printed books by Chen Xunzheng and others. Among them are Xiong Shili’s (1885-1968, formerly known as Jizhi, Shengheng, Dingzhong, also known as Zizhen and Yiweng) New Idealism (The self-issued classical Chinese version of ZPL in October 1932) and Breaking through the New Idealism (《破破新唯识论》, Peking University Publishing Group February 1933 Edition); The methods for purchasing books by letter from other cities include 15 articles, which specify the methods for purchasing books issued by this distribution center by book buyers from other cities outside of Hangzhou; The wholesale regulations of ZPL include 15 articles, which specify the methods for selling various books published by ZPL on a commission basis. The advertisements printed in this book include a catalog of books such as “Basic Books of Chinese Studies”, “Literary Books”, “Zhejiang Literature”, “Books Related to the West Lake in Hangzhou”, and “National Medical Reference Books”, as well as two famous historical works such as Twenty Essentials of Tongzhi (《通志二十略》), Tongyi Collation and Tongyi of Literature and History (《文史通义 校雠通义), Zhejiang Tongzhi (《浙江通志》), A masterpiece of traditional Chinese studies Zhang’s Series (《章氏丛书》), bibliographic masterpieces “Kuai Ge Shi Shan Fang Series” (“快阁师石山房丛书”), Chunhua Ge Tie (《淳化阁帖》), and so on, Publications such as Zhejiang Library Journal (《浙江图书馆馆刊》) and Wenlan Journal (《文澜学报》). The “Preferential Measures” record:

Preferential treatment is given to various libraries, schools, and institutions. Wooden printed books are priced at a 10% discount, while lead printed books are priced at a 20% discount. A sample of precision printed wooden printed books is **ailable, and they can be sent immediately upon request. (ZPL. 1934a, end of volume advertising page 1)

The “handling of printed copies” refers to:

Our printing department is located at No. 7 Shuilusi Lane, Hangzhou. We h**e our own new electric printing machine and various types of Chinese and Western typefaces. In addition to printing our publications, we also undertake various types of lead stone prints. Our products are exquisite, delivery is fast, and prices are low. If you patronize us, we are welcome. (ZPL. 1934a, end of volume advertising page 1)

At the beginning of this book, there is a revelation from the ZPL:

The Zhejiang Provincial Library has a printing and printing office, which was reorganized and expanded from the former Zhejiang Official Book Office and has a history of 69 years. In the 18th year of the Republic of China, a lead printing department was established, with the official book office printing and selling the subordinate wood printing department (which should be referred to as the “printing and sales division of the subordinate wood printing and distribution department.  (author’s note)

However, the printing and sales of wood printing books are still an important business. Currently, there are over 140,000 pieces of official books and continued woodblock prints in the collection, with over 200 types of books cataloged. The official book office prints books with careful selection of bibliographies, excellent carving tools, and meticulous proofreading, especially those recommended by intellectuals; Therefore, scholars who discuss versions are often referred to as Zhejiang carving. Since the restoration of the Republic of China and the transformation of the official publishing house into a library, carving has been continued, such as Sun Zhongrong’s Wenzhou Classics and Records (《温州经籍志》), Zhang Taiyan’s Zhang’s Series, and also carved on wooden boards. Many years later, the library has received several complimentary book editions from collectors, such as the Jinhua Collection (《金华丛书》) and Continuation of Jinhua Series (《续金华丛书》)of the Hu’s Jin Hua, the Zhen Qi Tang of the Wang’s Zhen Qi Tang Collection (《振绮堂丛书》), and the 8,000 volumes Compilation of Wulin Chronicles (《武林掌故丛编》) and Posthumous Works of Wulin Xiangzhe (《武林往哲遗著》) by the Ding & Lou. These editions h**e been used to accumulate wealth and promote culture, while also benefiting the library greatly. The ZPL has resumed national operation, not competing for profits with merchants, often using cheap labor, pricing with a focus on low prices, and pursuing high quality printing. During this period, it did not disappoint the old rules of the official bookstore, but instead fully demonstrated the library’s duty to spread culture. The library sells books at a discount to the general public. Just compare any book with the books sold by folk bookstores to understand the difference. The library prints and sells various books, with a separate page catalog in front of the books. For the convenience of buyers, the library has specially added adapted versions and made them into books, because domestic and foreign libraries, schools, government agencies, public and private collectors, and people from all walks of life who are eager to learn and love books h**e a humble heart. They are willing to purchase these books and help promote them. This is the luck of our library and also the luck of Chinese culture (ZPL, 1934a).

In September 1936, the ZPL once again compiled and printed the Catalogue of Books Published by Zhejiang Provincial Library. Compared with the 1934 edition, this book has reduced the number of “ZPL’s sales of consignment books” and advertisements for “handling printed copies”, and increased the number of “newly added books” in advertisements, while other parts are similar. The book is divided into three parts: “ZPL Publishing Wooden Print Bibliography”, “ZPL Publishing Lead Print Bibliography”, and “Our Library Attached Printing Office Sales Measures”. Among them, “Our Library Attached Printing Office Sales Measures” includes “Door Sales Measures”, “Letter Purchase Measures”, “Wholesale Processing Measures”, and “Preferential Measures”. In addition, advertisements for the library’s publications, such as Book Outlook (《图书展望》), Wenlan Journal, bound volume, supplement issue of Zhejiang Library Journal, etc.; Jiutong, 22zi, two famous historical works of Tongzhi Twenty Lue and Wenshi Tongyi·Collation Tongyi, Zhejiang Tongzhi, Chinese classics of Zhangshi Series, Chunhua Ge Tie, etc., reference books of Chinese medicine, basic books of Chinese ancient civilization, literary books, books related to West Lake in Hangzhou, Zhejiang literature, newly added books, etc., are also printed.

A Summary of the ZPL’s Publication, Sale of Consignment Books, and the Publication of This Bookstore by Huating Bookstore

As the Shanghai General Distribution Office of the ZPL, Huating Bookstore distributed wood printed books and lead stone printed books published by the ZPL at that time, as well as books published by major domestic libraries and other publishing institutions, as well as books self-printed by Chen Xunzheng and others. As of September 1936, the ZPL had published over 400 types of woodblock printed books and at least 27 types of lead printed books (including publications such as Wenlan Journal, Book Outlook, and Zhejiang Provincial Library Journal (《浙江省立图书馆馆刊》)edited and published by the ZPL, as well as a set of 40 “celebrity biographies”). The following mainly introduces the Zhang’s Series printed on wood, the Zhang’s Series Continuation (《章氏丛书续编》) sold on consignment, and the Zhang’s Remains (《章氏遗书》) printed on lead, including the Literature and History Tongyi Collation Tongyi and “Celebrity Portrait Biography” series.

The Zhang’s Series and Zhang’s Series Continuation were written by Zhang Taiyan (章太炎, 1869-1936, originally named Xuecheng/学乘, also known as Meishu/枚叔, later renamed Binglin/炳麟 and Jiang/绛). The Zhang’s Series consists of 12 types, 48 volumes, and 24 books, specifically: one book of Annals of the Spring and Autumn Annals of Zuo Zhuan (Volume 1), one book of Liu Zi Zheng Zuo Shi Shuo (Volume 1), three books of Wenshi (Volume 9), two books of New Dialect (Volume 11), two books of The Language in Three States of the South of the Five Ridges (Volume 1), one book of Answers to Questions in Xiaoxue (Volume 1) and Shuowen Radical Junyu (Volume 1), one book of Zhuangzi Jiegu (Volume 1), one book of Guanzi Yuyi (Volume 1), and one volume of Qi Wu Lun Shi (Volume 1), two volumes of Qi Wu Lun Shi Re revised Edition (Volume 1), three books of National Heritage Lun Heng (Volume 3), three books of Jian Lun (Volume 9), five books of Initial Compilation of Taiyan Wenlu (Volume 5) and Supplementary Compilation of Taiyan Wenlu (Volume 1), and one book of Han Wei Yan (Volume 1). The advertisement published by the ZPL reads:

After being introduced by the curator Zhang Zhongming (1865-?, named Zhen, Zhang Taiyan’s second brother—note of this article’s author) in the sixth year of the Republic of China, our library began to obtain the power to reprint engr**ed boards, and the authors themselves reorganized and formulated them. Then, they carefully proofread and submitted the manuscript for publication, which took three years to produce. Therefore, the content was different from the versions sold in street shops... Previously, Zhang Xiangtao from Nanpi County once said: “Knowing that a book should be read instead of reading its refined version is twice the result.” How does the contribution of this publication in this library compare to that of a landscaper? Large bookstores in various provinces often receive letters and order multiple copies; The degree to which this publication is highly valued by the academic community can be imagined. (ZPL, 1934a, advertising page of Zhang’s series)

The Continuation of Zhang’s Series was originally proofread and printed by Zhang’s disciples Wu Chengshi (吴承仕, 1884-1939, also known as Jianzhai) and Qian Xuantong (钱玄同, 1887-1939, formerly known as Qian Xia/钱夏, also known as De Qian/德潜, Yigu/疑古、逸谷, etc.) in Beiping (now Beijing) in 1933, consisting of seven types, 17 volumes, and four volumes, around 1935, the ZPL issued this edition (In September 1936, in the Catalogue of Books Published by Zhejiang Provincial Library compiled by ZPL, the advertisement “Newly Added Books”/《新增图书》 included Zhang’s series Continuationpriced at five yuan), specifically, it includes Parallel Branches of Guanglun Yu (Volume 1), Ti Zhuan Lu (Volume 1), Introduction to the Ancient Wen Shang Shu of Tai Shi Gong (Volume 1), Supplement to the Ancient Wen Shang Shu (Volume 2), Answers to the Doubts of the Left Clan in the Spring and Autumn Period (Volume 5), New Examination of the Three Body Stone Classics (Volume 1) (handwritten by Qian Xuantong), and Dao Han Chang Yan (Volume 6).

The ZPL and its predecessor used to print the General Meaning of Literature and History and Correction (11 volumes and five volumes) of the Zhang Family’s Posthumous Book, in about 1921, it also obtained 18 copies of Zhang Xuecheng’s posthumous book from Xu Weize Zhuxue Zhai in Kuaiji (present-day Shaoxing), Zhejiang. They then compiled it into 24 volumes and planned to publish it in lead. However, due to financial reasons, it was discontinued (Chen, 1933). Regarding the General Principles of Literature and History and Proofreading General Principles, the advertisement of the ZPL stated:

The General Principles of Literature and History has a total of eight volumes, divided into two internal and external parts, with a total of five internal parts. The internal part discusses in detail the academic schools of ancient and modern times, as well as the principles and literature of historical revision. The external part specifically discusses geographical customs. The Proofreading General Principles originally had four volumes, but now it has been preserved in three volumes; The publication of Proofreading Tongyi was earlier than its publication, and most of its content can be mutually verified. The depth of discussion and outstanding insights cannot be compared to those of Liu Zixuan and Zheng Yuzhong. Proofreading Tongyi explains the knowledge of collation and the compilation of local chronicles, and is also very pioneering in formulating the compilation style. Fortunately, the broad mindedness of scholars makes this book not just a few secret treasure books for historians. (ZPL, 1934a, advertising page for “Two Masterpieces of History”; 1936a, advertising page for “Two Masterpieces of History”)

The “Celebrity Biography” series is divided into four groups, namely World Contemporary Celebrities (《世界当代名人》), Historical National Heroes (《历代民族英雄》), Revolutionary Martyrs (《革命先烈》), and Academic Masters of Zhejiang Province (《浙省学术大师》), with 10 copies in each group. It was published by the ZPL at the end of June 1935. World Contemporary Celebrities includes Chairman Jiang Jieshi, Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin, Roosevelt, Bisuzzi (the father of Poland), Valera (the former Prime Minister of Southern Ireland), Helio (a French politician and scholar), Kemal (the father of Türkiye), Gandhi (a famous national leader of India); National Heroes of All Dynasties includes Ban Chao, Yue Fei, Wen Tianxiang, Qi Jiguang, Shi Kefa, Zheng Chenggong, Zhang Cangshui, Lin Zexu, Li Xiucheng, and Deng Shichang; Revolutionary Martyrs includes Shi Jianru, Wu Yue, Xu Xilin, Qiu Jin, Lin Juemin, Song Jiaoren, Huang Xing, Chen Yingshi, Zhu Zhixin, and Liao Zhongkai; The Academic Masters of Zhejiang Province includes Wang Yangming, Zhu Shunshui, Huang Lizhou, Zhu Zhutuo, Wan Jiye, Qi Cifeng, Quan Xie Shan, Sun Zhongrong, Yu Quyuan, and Huang Yuantong. The ZPL has published a series of four sets of 40 “Biographies of Celebrities” at a time of low morale and a lack of interest in learning, with the aim of promoting national spirit and promoting academic style (Pengling, 1935). The library once stated:

If there is a lack of suitable wall charts for embellishments in general primary and secondary schools, civil education centers, libraries, and other places, forty celebrity portraits selected by the affiliated printing bank of this library can be printed. All portrait images are taken from the original photos and precious portraits with cameras, and then made into copper plates for printing, which is very precise and clear. Adding a small biography downwards can make readers admire them (ZPL, 1935c)

Conclusion

The books issued by the modern Zhejiang Library include woodblock printed books, lead stone printed books, as well as books published by major domestic libraries and individuals such as Chen Xunzheng. The Huating Bookstore established by Yu Heqin not only distributed this edition of books, but also served as the Shanghai General Distribution Office of the ZPL, serving as a bridge between the ZPL located in Hangzhou and various retail ZPL bookstores in Shanghai. The production and sales relationship established between ZPL and Huating Bookstore has to some extent promoted the sales of books published or sold on consignment by the library in Shanghai, and is also conducive to the increase of Huating Bookstore’s own revenue.

References

Chen, N. (1936). New style social dance art. (2nd ed.). Shanghai: Huating Bookstore.

Chen, X. (1933). A brief history of Zhejiang Provincial Library. Journal of Zhejiang Provincial Library, 2(6), 1-20.

Fen. (1936). Yu Heqin’s house collection. In Diamond (2nd ed.).

Pengling. (1935). Zhejiang Provincial Library compiles and prints biographies of modern and ancient celebrities. News, 17th edition, June 9, 1935.

Popular Education Unit of the Fourth Division of Shanghai Municipality Education Bureau. (1935). Shanghai Bookstore survey (one of the social surveys in Shanghai). Shanghai: General Affairs Unit of the First Division of Shanghai Municipality Education Bureau.

Yu, H. (1937a). Methods of people’s refuge during wartime. News, 5th edition, August 15, 1937.

Yu, H. (1937b). Methods of people’s refuge during wartime. Shen Bao, 11th edition, August 12, 1937.

ZPL. (1934a). Catalogue of books published by Zhejiang Provincial Library. Hangzhou: Zhejiang Provincial Library.

ZPL. (1934b). Overview of Zhejiang Provincial Library. Hangzhou: Zhejiang Provincial Library.

ZPL. (1935a). Attention to public and private collectors. Shen Bao, 4th edition, April 7, 1935.

ZPL. (1935b). Books published by Zhejiang Provincial Library. Shen Bao, 4th edition, April 7, 1935.

ZPL. (1935c). Publishing of portrait and biography of celebrities. Journal of Zhejiang Provincial Library,4(3), 7-8.

ZPL. (1936a). Catalogue of books published by Zhejiang Provincial Library. Hangzhou: Zhejiang Provincial Library.

ZPL. (1936b). Overview of Zhejiang Provincial Library. Hangzhou: Zhejiang Provincial Library.