The plaque unveiling ceremony for the academician work station led by Yang Yulinag and the Xishuangbanna government was held in Jinghong on July 10. The center for preservation and conservation of ancient books in Dai language was also unveiled on the same day.
Yang Yuliang is an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and an outstanding chemist and educator. He served as President of Fudan Unviersity from 2009 to 2014. Then became the Director of the Institute for Preservation and Conservation of Chinese Ancient Books, Fudan University. The academician work station led by Yang is the first of its kind in Yunnan on ancient books preservation and conservation.
Prof. Yang Yongping, director of Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG), witnessed the plaque unveiling of the academician work station and the ancient books conservation center. Afterwards, Yang Yongping signed cooperation agreement with Yang Yuliang academician work station and Institute for Preservation and Conservation of Chinese Ancient Books, Fudan University respectively.
The three sides will cooperate in germplasm collection of pattra tree (Corypha umbraculifera), scientific research on palm leaf manuscripts (or pattra-leaf scriptures), graduate education, etc.
ABOUT
Historically, the leaves of pattra tree were written upon in various Southeast Asian cultures using an iron stylus to create palm leaf manuscripts. In China, the palm leaf manuscripts is mainly distributed in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province, and introduced from northern Thailand and Myanmar. Besides Buddhist Sutra, there are many legends, stories, poems and historical biographies, etc. Palm leaf manuscripts is the oldest and core part of Dai palm-leaf culture, the main carrier of palm-leaf culture, and can be said to be the foundation of Dai culture. Numerous palm leaf manuscripts have become an encyclopedia of Dai society, forming a unique local national culture.
Yang Yongping signs agreement with Yang Yuliang academician work station.
XTBG and Fudan University sign agreement.
