Chinanews.com, Beijing, May 23 (Reporter Ying Ni) As an important material in the old collection of the China Institute of Architecture, the "Da Tang Western Regions" published by the Commercial Press in February 1937 attracted attention.

Hundreds of dots or annotations in the book are the handwritings of hundreds of buildings and place names in the Tang Dynasty.

Experts believe that this is Liang Sicheng and Lin Huiyin's circle-reading comments, and it is also the first time that Lin Huiyin has been spotted and commented on relevant documents.

At the same time, on the front page and inside pages of the book, three solemn and exquisite "China Architecture Society" vermilion seals were respectively sealed.

  The volume "Da Tang Western Regions" is the fourth edition of the Basic Chinese Studies series printed by the Commercial Press in February of the 26th year of the Republic of China (1937).

According to historical data analysis, due to the Japanese invasion, Beiping fell. In July 1937, Zhu Qiqian, Liang Sicheng, and Liu Dunzhen jointly named it as an important document of the Chinese Academy of Architecture and deposited it in the underground vault of Tianjin British Macquarie Bank. ; In August 1939, Tianjin flood disaster, most of the important materials of the China Academy of Architecture were destroyed. This book "The Western Regions of the Tang Dynasty" survived, but it has obvious water stains.

It can be inferred from this that the Zhumobi annotations and circle readings (related to ancient buildings in the Tang Dynasty) in the book should have been formed from February to July 1937 before being deposited.

Shuying photo by Li Jianming

  Related experts said that the judgment that the handwriting in the book is Liang Sicheng and Lin Huiyin's handwriting is based on the following points:

  First of all, Liang and Lin have long searched for and studied wooden buildings before the Tang Dynasty in China, and "The Western Regions of the Tang Dynasty" is the document they must refer to.

According to publicly published information, as early as 1930, when Liang and Lin were teaching in the Department of Architecture of Northeastern University, they had already begun to study the sculptures in "The Western Regions of the Tang Dynasty".

The two discovered the Wutaishan Foguang Temple in June 1937. It can be inferred that before and after the discovery of the Wutaishan Foguang Temple, the two must have consulted a large number of books related to the wooden structure of the Tang Dynasty and Buddhism in the Tang Dynasty.

This can further explain why the contents of the circle reading notes in the book are mostly related to the ancient buildings of the Tang Dynasty.

  Secondly, from the handwriting comparison, it can be proved that Liang Sicheng and Lin Huiyin participated in the circle reading and annotation of the book.

  Handwriting appraisal experts compared the remarks with the original Liang Sicheng's brush on page 67 of "Selected Handwritings of Tsinghua Scholars in a Century" published by Pulu Publishing House in 2010, and confirmed that it is Liang Sicheng's authentic.

And from page 6 (6) to page 185 (18th Five) of the book, there are a large number of black pen circle reading handwriting, and the circle reading content is almost all the Tang Dynasty architectural text expressions in the "Da Tang Western Regions". Judgment Think of Lin Huiyin's handwriting: On the one hand, from the perspective of the relationship between the characters, Lin Huiyin and Liang Sicheng do not distinguish each other in work.

On the other hand, on page 135 (1st, 3rd, 5th) of the book, there is a black pen remarks "I suspect it may fall off", and the handwriting is compared to Lin Huiyin's handwriting.

It was further confirmed that the black pen circle that almost runs through the entire book was left by Lin Huiyin.

  Many of Liang Sicheng's Zhubi endorsements in this volume of "Inside the Western Regions of the Great Tang Dynasty" are place names at that time, such as Tiantou on page 8, with the Zhubi handwriting "Daqing Pond", which refers to Lake Issyk-Kul in present-day Kyrgyzstan. The deepest mountain lake in the world.

There is also a Chinese handwriting "Suye Water City", which refers to the broken leaf city built in the Tang Dynasty imitating Chang'an. It is now located to the east of Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan.

Shuying photo by Li Jianming

  Lin Huiyin's ink-coloured handwriting remarks "I suspect it may fall off now" after the words "Same as the same" on the first 35 pages.

Experts have checked the "Datang Western Regions Notes" edited by Ji Xianlin and others. There is no word missing in the sentence. Lin Huiyin carefully used the word "suspicious"-"suspect has fallen off". This may be in line with her years of experience in Europe and America. Life habits are somewhat related.

  Regarding the question of why the rare book "Da Tang Xiyu Ji" was not signed by Liang and Lin, an expert on ancient and used book appraisal explained that the seal of the "China Academy of Construction" indicates that the book is a public property of the Academy.

Liang and Lin, as the core figures of the Academy, can borrow the book and review the book for academic research purposes, but they will never stamp the inscription on books that are not their own.

The absence of personal seals or signatures in the book just reflects the noble character of the two people who distinguish between public and private.

  It is reported that the book will be unveiled at the China Bookstore Spring Book and Periodicals and Cultural Relic Auction on June 5.

(Finish)