A pictorial exhibition on Chinese etiquettes, jointly held by the Shanghai Library and the Nanjing Library, will be held between January 30 and February 9 in the first exhibition hall in the Shanghai Library. The 40 pieces of works with captions illustrated vividly the characteristics of the Chinese civilization and etiquettes in the modern society.

Etiquette is a manifestation of human civilization and progress. China features a history of five thousand years of civilization, and is known as a ceremonial nation, with its people reputed for their polite manners. Etiquette, as an important component of Chinese traditional culture, exerts a far-reaching influence on the development of Chinese society, and permeates almost all aspects of ancient China.

With the increased frequency of interpersonal communication today, civility is having its importance felt even more as a lubricant during communication. In today’s information world with civilization, peace and development as mainstream, civility has become the basic moral standard to measure people’s conducts and an index for national quality.

This exhibition will be the second one introduced from the Nanjing Library since 2008. In the meantime, the Shanghai Library has also brought over tens of exhibitions to Nanjing as an effort of exchange and resource sharing.