Asian crafts shown in Beijing as part of new conference

The National Library of China serves as a state museum of classic books. Its vast and comprehensive collections - ranging from millennia-old oracle bones, the ancient manuscripts of Dunhuang, epigraphs and rubbings, historic documents in the languages of ethnic groups to manuscripts by renowned authors - stand as handwritten testaments to human civilization.

Now, visitors to this Beijing institution will find their experience in understanding Asian cultures diversify. In addition to flipping through texts in the library's collection, they can also visit an ongoing exhibition titled Craftsmanship of Civilizations.

The exhibition, which runs through May 28, is one of several cultural events to mark the inaugural Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations that opened in Beijing on Wednesday.