A spill of rolled paper, besides thread, was used in book binding so that the books were still undispersed even when threads broke. Sandalwood and nanmu were also used to make book sheaths. In order to implement insect prevention and save wear and tear, high quality silky cloth was employed to package books.
In addition, people would also air books on the sunny and dry days in early spring or mid autumn, which could help rid the books of moisture and insects. The aired books, when completely cooled down, were put back into cabinets afterwards. There were also many factors to consider in regards to timing and ways of airing.
The Circulation of the Ancient Books
There was an early record about the circulation of books in ancient China. The rising of civil bookstore marked the formal start of book trade in ancient China. After the spread of printing technique, the quickening velocity and enlarging scope in book trade shaped a huge book-distributing network system and numerous book trade centers.
Bookstore and “Huaishi”
Not later than the later period of the 1st century B.C, the earliest civil bookstore in Chinese history emerged in the capital Chang?an and some economically and culturally developed cities.
The bookstores run by civil merchant, with profit purpose, various books, flexible operation, open-selling and freereading, not only attracted readers, but also well meet the selfstudy need of the poor intellectuals. Objectively, they played the part of public library which was inexistent at the time, and was well received by readers. The historical documents have many reading-buying books stories about celebrities. There is one that goes: The famous scholar Wang Chong (27–about 97 A.D.) could not afford books because of his poor family background and was a frequent reader in bookstore.
The emergence of numerous bookstores, facilitating book circulation and utility, was also an important means to supplement the official and individual book collections. In the progressive process, the business of bookstore was booming, with the operating procedure of mobile and home book service, and manifested an enriched flavor of commerciality. Stimulated by commercial profit, book peddlers at the time carried about books to the gathering places of Confucian scholars, which gradually led to the being of book market.
From the end of the Western Han Dynasty (1–8 A.D.) to the Xin Dynasty (9–23 A.D.), the earliest book market, “Huaishi,” in ancient China turned up near the Imperial College in Chang’an city. At the end of the Western Han Dynasty, Wang Mang was in power that ordered to enlarge the Imperial College, increased the number of the college student and assigned numerous scholars to hold a post in the capital. The gathering of scholars and students promoted the demand of books. Upon that, a comprehensive market including book trade shaped near the Imperial College. The market was called “Huaishi” for the several hundreds of locust trees there.
Different from civil bookstore, the “Huaishi” bore the following distinctive features. First was regularity. The market held semimonthly; second, the main entry party was college student in Chang?an; third, the buying and selling of goods included musical instrument, locally grown products and etc except for books; the fourth was the function of communication and learning exchanges. The academic discussions were frequently held when in the purchase of books; the last was that “Huaishi” was under the official influence and supervision, a specialized institution set by the government monitored the “Huaishi.” As a business transaction center, the “Huaishi” possesses an enriched cultural flavour. In 23 A.D., Wang Mang’s regime collapsed. With the Imperial College dissolved, the “Huaishi” vanished. Although it survived only over 20 years, the “Huaishi” still exerted a great far-reaching influence on history. The “Huaishi” was often chanted as cultural icons in poems by poets and scholars of later generations.
