Monday, 27 October 2025Having a strong interest in traditional Chinese culture, I recently joined the Cultural Heritage Conservation Workshop, jointly organized by the Conservation Office and our school’s Department of Chinese History, Visual Arts, and Chinese Language. In the workshop, we first learned about some common causes of damage to calligraphy and artwork, including pests and UV rays, as well as the measures adopted for the protection of these artworks. In the past, people used different plants with strong and pungent smells to repel pests; nowadays, conservators use more scientific instruments to monitor the storage environment and pest activity to ensure the long-term preservation of the collections.
Moving on, we immersed ourselves in the demonstration of mounting and conserving Chinese paintings and calligraphy. The steps involved washing, removing old mounting, backing, and retouching. In the demonstration, we mainly focused on the processes of repair and backing. The conservator first scraped out a slope around the tear and then pasted similar filling materials to mend it. This process might seem easy, but it indeed requires a lot of patience and caution.
After watching the demonstration, we had the opportunity to put what we learned into practice by trying to mend the holes in a piece of Xuan paper. The paper was so soft that I needed to concentrate all the time to avoid tearing it apart accidentally. Focusing on the tiny holes and my shaking hands, I realized how difficult it was to repair artworks. After participating in this workshop, I became more familiar with the conservation of Chinese calligraphy and artwork. It is never an easy job, but it is undoubtedly very meaningful work. Not only does it protect valuable heritage, but it also passes the traditional spirit and culture to the next generation.