WHAT:

“Rare and Antique Books: A Collector’s Story”, an in-person talk by Jason Wang, moderated by Matthew Hu
WHEN:

June 23, 2021 Wednesday 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
WHERE:

The Courtyard Institute, 28 Zhonglao Hutong, Dongcheng District, Beijing
HOW MUCH, HOW TO RSVP:

RASBJ members 50 RMB; non-members 100 RMB, payable in advance. Please add Peter Hogg on Wechat at 13810837442 and Wechat him payment with attendees’ names noted. (A screenshot of the transaction is your proof of payment.)

MORE ABOUT THE EVENT:
When Cai Lun improved the paper-making process in 105 CE, the large-scale manufacturing of paper resulted in the rapid spread of paper books. Although easily destroyed by fire, insects, and many other natural causes, a lot of rare books survived until today.
At this event, we are inviting Jason Wang, a collector of rare and antique books in Beijing, to share with us his experiences and insights. We will not only learn the ABC’s of antique books, but also grasp a few important principles on how to tell a real antique book from a fake one. Jason is also very generous in bringing a few of his rare books, mostly from the Ming and Qing dynasties, so people can have a chance to flip through some old books by hand.

Notes:
1. The talk will be about one hour fifteen minutes, followed by a Q&A session (including hands-on opportunity) of about 45 minutes.
2. As these genuine rare books will be on display, we politely ask you NOT to bring young children or any drinks close to the display area.

MORE ABOUT THE SPEAKER:
Jason Wang was born and brought up in Beijing, but his family is from Xuancheng City, Anhui Province, which is best known as the hometown to the best Four Treasures of the Chinese Scholar’s Study, namely the writing brush, paper, ink, and ink stone. Perhaps this is the reason why he started collecting rare and antique books after he retired from a successful career in the financial and investment sector. Up to now, Jason has collected more than 4,000 sets of books (about 15,000 volumes) dating from the Song Dynasty (10th century to 13th century) period to the Republican era (1912-1949). He has also collected some Bamboo Slips from the Spring and Autumn period (770 BCE – 476 BCE), which are considered some of the earliest existing written documents in China.
Before he decided to become an angel investor in art, media, cultural and creative industries in 2011, Jason worked as senior management for Dow Jones Hong Kong, MIH Group China, Shaw Brothers Group, IGT Lottery. Jason is a graduate of Tsinghua University.