Some of the collections have never been brought out of storage or been displayed.

Set up in 1985, the museum holds one of the largest and finest literature collections in the country. But nearly 15 years, large-scale exhibitions were not able to be held due to a lack of exhibition space.

Late last year, the museum moved into the new 150 million yuan (US$18 million) building to meet the public's demand.

Though Beijing prides itself on being China's cultural center, most of its cultural facilities, such as museums and theatres set up decades ago, have failed to catch up with the city's rapid modernization. The municipal government began to invest in a number of projects for the city. The reconstruction of the National Museum of Modern Chinese Literature is just one of those projects.

"The museum should reflect the level of civilization and be a symbol of Beijing and of the culture of the East," said the museum's deputy director Shu Yi.

As a brainchild of architects with the Ministry of Construction and experts of the museum, the new museum is supposed to project a modern but traditional image.

The three-story building captures the splendor of Chinese traditional architecture: red walls, latticed windows and sloping roofs.

Unlike most Chinese ancient buildings, the museum is decorated with blue roofs and white window frames, which gives a jolt of color to the typically somber style of the capital's museums.

Covering an area of 15,000 square meters, the museum includes exhibition halls, a library and a multi-functional center.

The museum also spared little expense to create a place that would stand out and compare to the leading museums in the country.

All the statues and paintings in the museum are works by China's most famous artists. Even the hand-shaped door handles of exhibition rooms are pieces of art - they are bronze sculptures made into the hand mold of Ba Jin, 96, one of China's greatest writers and the museum's honorary director.

"We hope that every visitor can open the door of literature under the guidance of our ancestors," said Shu.

Three displays will remain fixtures at the museum: "Development of Modern Chinese Literature," "Memories of Literature Giants" and "Donation of Writers."

"Some of the exhibits, to a certain extent, are antiques," said Shu. "These include the original scripts, letters, diaries and photos which cannot be found elsewhere," he said.

The display, "Memories of Literature Giants" in the first exhibition hall, highlights the accomplishment of several distinguished writers like Lu Xun (1881-1936), Lao She (1899-1966) and Bing Xin (1900-99).

In the middle of the exhibition hall is the replica of Lu Xun's residence, which is called the "father of modern Chinese literature." His story "A Madman's Diary" is considered first story written in modern Chinese.

The classic Chinese literature by Lao Zi and Confucius were written in literary Chinese which is quite different from the spoken language.

But literature drastically changed during an intellectual revolution, referred to as the New Culture Movement, which took place the early 20th century. Many of the new intellectuals, such as Lu Xun, held up for critical scrutiny in nearly all aspects of Chinese culture and traditional ethnic groups. The writers abandoned the classic language and chose to write in modern Chinese.

As one of the most influential figures in the movement, Lu Xun had produced great literature, mainly including three collections of stories and 17 collections of essays.

The exhibits of Lu's residence are fairly simple: a desk of faded colour with the passing years and a plainly decorated bed. The enormous black-and-white portrait of Lu Xun is no doubt the focus of the exhibition.

Besides Lu Xun, the museum also pays tribute to Lao She, another great Chinese writer.

Many photos featuring Lao She's most successful dramas are on exhibition. "He has been kept alive by all the common, but poor, people that he has created," said Shu, son of Lao She (originally named Shu Qingchun).

His signature drama "Teahouse" tells the story of the ups and downs of a traditional Chinese teahouse and portrays the life of several small characters. The play reflects the painful changes in China from the 1890s to the 1940s. It has become a classical repertoire on China's stage and the first Chinese drama to tour in other countries since the founding of the People's Republic.

Lao She has been admired and studied internationally. Last year, scores of scholars from all over the world gathered in Beijing to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Lao She's birth. Some of Lao She's works have been published in foreign languages, like "The Quest for the Love of Lao Lee," "Camel Xiangzi (The Rickshaw Boy)" and "Teahouse."

Equally important, the exhibits donated by Bing Xin's family might bring up memories of this prominent writer and children's novelist, who died of heart failure early last year.

Her books have been widely used in primary schools for generations. They include "For Small Readers," "Little Tangerine Lamp" and "Ode to Cherry Blossom."

The exhibits include dozens of letters from her readers who talk about their goals, their studies and their education while talking with Bing Xin.

"Her broad sense of love and sympathy for the family and nature, and her love for the motherland has influenced generations of Chinese children," said Zhou Ming, the museum's deputy director.

The exhibition of "Development of Modern Chinese Literature" showcases the most significant events in China's literature over the past 150 years.

"Literature has played a significant role in the history of China since early 20th century," Shu said. "This was true both in the warring periods before the founding of the People's Republic and the reform and opening up in the 1980s and 1990s."

The third show mainly presents the 70-odd literary collections donated by famous Chinese writers and preserved by the museum over the past 15 years.

In addition to the three shows, the library is now open to the public, where interactive computer systems provide specific information about the literary collections of the museum.

Since the new museum was completed last year, it has drawn increasing attention in the capital.

"The architecture is sure to become a new landmark of the capital," said Shu Yi.

(from China Daily)