Wan Qun

01 · Lineage & Regional School

Wan Qun, Female, Han, from Tianjin, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Mounting and Restoration Craftsmanship (Ⅷ-136). The tradition is documented in Tianjin. Within the regional tradition and school record of Mounting and Restoration Craftsmanship in Tianjin: Tianjin's ancient-book restoration craft mainly circulates in the Tianjin area, centered on the Tianjin Library and radiating to surrounding regions, matching the officially-run character of the ancient-book restoration discipline. Tianjin lies at the confluence of the five major tributaries of the Hai River on the North China Plain; since its founding as a garrison town and city in 1404, it rapidly rose as a commercial center and cultural hub, and the restoration craft gradually emerged. In the early 20th century, the Zhili Library (predecessor of Tianjin Library)—the largest public book repository in the Tianjin area—was established, and the craft was able to be inherited and developed within it. This core also undertakes transmission functions: the Tianjin Library is not only a national-level ancient-book restoration transmission center, a national-level ancient-book restoration center, and a national-level training base for ancient-book conservation personnel, but has also partnered with Tianjin Normal University to cultivate high-end professional talent for the national ancient-book conservation cause; to date they have jointly trained 26 master's-degree graduate students in ancient-book restoration. The Tianjin Library's Ancient-Book Restoration Center currently has 15 ancient-book conservation and research staff who have received professional technical training—few in number, yet they must shoulder the threefold tasks of transmission, protection, and research. The artisan spirit of dedication, refinement, and focus formed in the restoration craft still plays a positive role in contemporary society. Tianjin lies at the confluence of the five major tributaries of the Hai River on the North China Plain. Since its founding as a garrison town and city in 1404, it rapidly rose as a commercial center and cultural hub, and the craft of ancient-book restoration gradually emerged alongside. In the early 20th century, the Zhili Library (the predecessor of Tianjin Library)—the largest public book repository in the Tianjin area—was established, and the craft was able to be inherited and developed within the library.

02 · Mastery & Signature Works

The bearer record for Wan Qun is anchored in the documented technical standards of Mounting and Restoration Craftsmanship in Tianjin. Within the documented technical tradition of Mounting and Restoration Craftsmanship in Tianjin: The ancient-book restoration craft comprises the book-repair experience and methods accumulated by Chinese artisans over a thousand years. Tianjin's ancient-book restoration craft mainly circulates in the Tianjin area, centered on the Tianjin Library and radiating to surrounding regions. First, the materials and binding form of the book to be repaired are analyzed and a restoration plan determined; then, through experimental testing, handmade restoration papers and materials with suitable paper properties are selected. Next, using book-repair tools and flexibly applying specialized techniques such as lifting, pasting, mounting, patching, and inlaying, the aesthetic ideal of restoring the old to appear naturally and simply antique is perfectly realized. Furthermore, the craft emphasizes book binding and decoration, favoring corner-wrapping and frequently using methods such as "gold-inlaid jade" (jinxiangyu) and lining-inlay. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Assessing material and binding form": The binding and material of a rare book are analysed and an integral restoration plan drawn up, then test methods select handmade paper of matching fibre before any work begins. "Lifting, posting, backing, patching and inlay": With the restorer's tool kit the techniques of lifting, posting, backing, patching and inlay are combined to reproduce an old book as old yet natural. "Cornered boards and gold-inlaid borders": Binding decoration is a speciality: cornered boards and gold-inlaid or lined borders protect the edges of a volume without disguising its old appearance. "Excavation, inlay, joining and new binding forms": Excavation, inlay and joining were used to rebuild scattered leaves of Dunhuang and Song-Yuan books, inventing flat-opening and gold-inlaid butterfly bindings that show both documentary value and technique.

03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status

In 2025, Wan Qun was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Mounting and Restoration Craftsmanship, with Tianjin as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Mounting and Restoration Craftsmanship in Tianjin: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2021 (batch 5), with Tianjin as its declared area, and Tianjin Library (Tianjin Shaonianertong Library, Tianjin Gu Ji Safeguarding Center) as its safeguarding unit. Since the project was inscribed in the national inventory, its declared area and safeguarding unit have carried out documentation, transmission and presentation within the national safeguarding framework. Together, the inventory record and the project archive form the public documentary basis for the bearer’s transmission practice.

04 · Associated Heritage Item Dossier

05 · Fellow National Bearers Lineage

National representative bearers recorded under the same item code, ordered from the first to the sixth batch. Batch order is not a teacher–student relationship.

06 · Archival Sources & Bibliography

1. Wanqun (Tianjin) · China ICH Official Project Archive
2. Wanqun · China ICH Official Archive