Zhu Yong: Reading is a kind of nourishment
2024-08-17
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"Shanghai's readers are both enthusiastic and well-mannered, highly qualified, and they love and understand books. The Shanghai Book Fair is the best book fair!" Yesterday, Zhu Yong, writer and director of the Palace Museum's Institute of Cultural Communication, had just finished an academic event in Japan and rushed over to talk about the Shanghai Book Fair with our reporter, expressing his appreciation and favor in a "straightforward" manner.
Zhu Yong is an old friend of the Shanghai Book Fair. "Once, I saw Yan Feng signing autographs for readers at the book fair. I walked over to say hello to him, and a reader politely asked: Are you Mr. Zhu Yong? I was surprised that I was recognized even though I was wearing a mask! Readers in Shanghai are amazing. They read books and get to know the authors of the books." Zhu Yong is a documentary director, writer, scholar, and research curator at the Palace Museum. With multiple identities, the one he devotes the most energy and effort to is, of course, the Forbidden City. He always has a unique understanding of the words he writes about the Forbidden City. "Six Hundred Years of the Forbidden City", "The Beauty of Antiquities in the Forbidden City"... Over the years, he has published more than 20 works about the Forbidden City, just like the title of one of his books - "Writing the World in the Forbidden City".
Seeing cultural relics is nourishing. Zhu Yong believes that the craze for the Forbidden City is a good thing, but we cannot compare history with palace fighting dramas. Some people "check in" at the Forbidden City with plots from palace fighting dramas, asking which palace a certain concubine lived in and how many wives Emperor Qianlong had. "This is curiosity, not culture. The public may not understand it, so we researchers need to write books to let everyone know what can represent the excellent traditional Chinese culture."
Currently, Zhu Yong writes for two to three hours during the day. He has several ideas in his mind at the same time, and he writes whichever one is mature. The first and second parts of the novel "Taihe Hall" have been completed, but he recalled them before printing to continue polishing them, and they will be published in the fall. The third part is already in the works.
Zhu Yong said that in the era of developed Internet and short videos, writing and books are especially needed, and books are the most reliable. He also noticed the signs of cultural discontinuity and said with emotion: "It is a pity that some young people don't read books. They don't know those treasures of predecessors with profound knowledge and character... Therefore, we need to read, and read good books. I think the Shanghai Book Fair is of high quality because it is not only about traffic, but also because there are many good books. It is an exhibition for real readers."
This afternoon, Zhu Yong held a new book sharing session in the central activity area of the exhibition center. His new books were published by three publishers: Liaohai Publishing House brought "Zhu Yong's Works" and "Zhu Yong's Literary Notes", People's Literature Publishing House brought "The Forbidden City Cultural Relics Migration to the South", and Sanlian Bookstore brought "The Beauty of the Forbidden City Architecture". As a result, readers have a "three-in-one" benefit, which is the first time Zhu Yong has encountered it and it is also rare at the Shanghai Book Fair.
Zhu Yong's interview with the Evening News was also a meeting between the author and the editor. He said happily: "I am an old reader of Xinmin Evening News. The supplement "Night Light Cup" has many works by famous artists, which has a great influence on me. At the end of last year, the Palace Museum held the "Long March of National Treasures" exhibition at the Shanghai History Museum. My speech at the opening ceremony of the exhibition, "Two "Extremes" of the Forbidden City's Predecessors", was published in Night Light Cup in January this year. I am very happy. Because the Forbidden City's cultural relics passed through Shanghai and stayed in Shanghai when they moved south, my related articles left a small trace in the long river of time." He also said: "Xinmin Evening News will usher in its 95th anniversary in September, and the Beijing Palace Museum will celebrate its 100th anniversary next year. These two century-old brands have had a close origin in history. I hope to publish more works in Xinmin Evening News in the future, continue to introduce the Forbidden City, and express my love for the city of Shanghai." (Xinmin Evening News reporter Guo Ying)
