Restorer salvages ancient books, rescues history

As time goes by, ancient books suffer wear and tear and, in the worst situations, are damaged by worms and/ or gnawed by rats. What can be done to save such valuable books? Ancient-book restorers are able to solve the problem. Zhao Ling, who works at Hangzhou Public Library, is an expert in repairing ancient books. She puts much effort into repairing "weak" ancient books, so they can regain their beauty and be passed on to future generations. Zhao has oft been referred to as a person who "rescues history."

Zhao Ling broadcast live her restoration of an ancient book via a live-streaming platform. Many netizens left online messages indicating they wanted to study ancient-book restoration under Zhao. "The work of repairing ancient books requires the restorer to endure the boredom. When I repair an ancient book, I need to sit still for several hours. I never thought many people would be interested in repairing ancient books," says Zhao.