Exhibition jogs nation's collective memory

Display of outdated objects illustrates the progress made since reform and opening-up was adopted. Zhao Yimeng reports.

Editor's note: This is the last story in a series reflecting China's achievements in a range of fields, including science, law enforcement, education and transportation, resulting from 40 years of the reform and opening-up policy.

Surrounded by obsolete objects, Song Zhenzhong, a small man in a red traditional jacket, excitedly explained how to operate the "antiques" to a group of primary school students.

That was in October, when Song held an exhibition of outdated objects at a library in Beijing's Dongcheng district. Daily necessities marking changes in China, ranging from rice coupons to black-and-white televisions, were displayed to illustrate the advances that have occurred in the past 40 years.

For older observers, the objects brought back memories, while the younger ones enjoyed an eye-opening glimpse of the past.

Song's event was one of several he has held this year to mark the 40th anniversary of the reform and opening-up policy.

The 55-year-old is a sixth-generation descendant of the Manchu Eight Banners, an administrative division of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), in Beijing.

His parents made a living by dipping strings of candied haws in sugar and selling them on the streets. Having learned the tricks of the trade, Song helped his parents in their work and excelled at peddling the candies.

He started collecting curios as a hobby at age 13, and now owns four museums that contain items such as bronze mirrors and headwear dating from the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) to the Qing. The exhibition in October, which centered on objects related to people's daily lives, was one of more than 10 events he has held this year to display his vast collection.

"It's meaningless to deliver lectures via computers because it is not perceptual at all. These outmoded objects, which appeared after the 1970s, are just a small part of my collection. As someone who grew up in a traditional Beijing alleyway, I want to make a contribution to traditional culture and leave something for my descendants," he said.

The internet has made it easy for collectors to obtain discarded former necessities.