Collectors congregate in Zhujiajiao
11/8/2004 15:57
The city's most well-known ancient water town, Zhujiajiao in Qingpu
District is home to not only many historical celebrities, but also many
contemporary collectors.
Such collectors can be found everywhere in the town.
Most live in the narrow lanes behind the busy streets, usually filled with
visitors during the day.
Among them is Zhou Tuoxing, an 83-year-old man who
has lived in the town for more than 60 years.
Stepping into his tiny bedroom,
one would be surprised by what he sees.
Except the bed, the only thing you
see is books.
However, according to Zhou, the books in the room account for
only one-third of his collection. Having collected books for almost his entire
life, the old man has more than 6,000 books and over 2,000 magazines.
He said
he is trying his best to pass down the lifetime hobby to later generations, by
presenting the books to his grandsons.
"I love reading, from which I have
benefited a lot all through my life," he said. "I have gone through all the
books that I bought, at least once."
He even knows precisely where he has
placed every book, no matter if it is on the shelf, on the table, or under the
bed.
Zhou, a retired middle school teacher, admits the hobby has taken over
most of his time and his savings as well.
"I have spent almost all my savings
on these books," he said. "The prices of books are just getting higher and
higher nowadays."
To save money for more books, Zhou quit smoking after 40
years - a habit that saw him puff three packs per day.
Although his
collection covers various subjects, he prefers books on literature and history
most.
Some of his books are unique and include the autographs of authors on
the front page. Some of the authors have since died.
"I keep the books as a
memory to those writers," he said. "One can always be remembered by his
work."
The street where Zhou lives is known as "book street" to Zhujiajiao
locals. Many of his neighbors are also book lovers.
It is said that more than
500 families living in the township collect books. Among them, there are about
100,000 books.
Apart from the books, many other interesting hobbies are
shared by Zhujiajiao people.
People who have visited the town before may
remember the two-story post office. It was built in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911)
and is the only well-preserved ancient post office in the city.
This may
explain the stamp-collecting fever among residents.
Sheng yonggen and his
wife from Shengli Neighborhood are known as the originators of stamp-collecting
in town. They started collecting stamps more than 50 years ago.
Sheng said
proudly that once a set of seven stamps, with the images of Zhujiajiao's oldest
bridge, were issued because of his call.
"I'm glad to see that more and more
people have fallen in love with stamps," Sheng said. "So far we have already set
up more than 30 organizations spontaneously for stamp-collectors to share their
thoughts and experiences."
Close to the bridge, there is an exhibition hall
of ancient Chinese wood carvings - also a tourist attraction.
More than 200
exquisite exhibits belong to the collection of Chen Jingzhang, a teacher from
the town's Shenxiang Primary School, who has been collecting wood carvings for
more than 10 years.
As an old art in the country, its history can be traced
back to the New Stone Age. However, unlike painting and calligraphy, wood works
were hard to preserve, especially after thousands of years.
On display are
various inscribed boards, furniture and decorations gathered by Chen from around
the country.
Other valuable collections among locals include ancient
porcelain artwork dating from the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD) to the Qing
Dynasty, ancient coins dating back hundreds of years ago, old newspapers as well
as letters written by celebrities.
Some are so precious that the owners are
reluctant to share them with visitors.
Michelle zhang
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