Editor's Note: The China Printing Museum has opened an exhibition featuring nearly 400 bookplates by renowned Chinese artists, tracing the evolution of this miniature art form from the 1930s to today.

"Between Inches, A Whole World: Bookplate by Renowned Artists from the Collection of the Shanghai Lu Xun Memorial Hall" showcases works that emerged from Chinese author Lu Xun's New Woodcut Movement in the 1930s.

Bookplates, small artworks pasted inside book covers to mark ownership, developed into a sophisticated printmaking medium in China under Lu's influence.

The 393 works on display span decades of Chinese printmaking, showing how artists adapted the European tradition that began in the 15th century, to reflect Chinese themes and techniques.

Exhibition organizers divided the show into thematic sections highlighting both traditional elements and contemporary approaches to bookplate design. The pieces demonstrate how printmaking has transmitted cultural values across generations while evolving with modern artistic movements.

The Shanghai Lu Xun Memorial Hall provided the collection for the exhibition, which pays tribute to Lu's pioneering role in establishing modern Chinese printmaking traditions.

This photo shows the entrance of the exhibition "Between Inches, A Whole World," held at the China Printing Museum, July 15, 2025. The exhibition traces the history of bookplates in Chinese cultural and literary heritage. [Photo by Liu Ziying/China.org.cn]