"It is the first time I have seen the golden lists of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and many other precious archives which are on the world cultural heritage list, Simon F.K.CHU, government archivist of the Public Records Office of Hong Kong, said when he visited China's Most Valuable Archive Exhibition, which opened yesterday at the Millennium Art Museum.

The exhibition will run to November 2. More than 100 archives including the earliest paper document extant in China displaying the history of the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) are on show. "The archives are selected from more than 20 archive administrations, and everyone has an opportunity to appreciate them," he said.

The golden lists are evidence of the Palace Examination, which was the final stage in the sequence of civil service recruitment in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

Chinese civilization has left a rich documentary heritage. Files of 130 million preserved in the archives of 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities are authentic records of this ancient civilization.

(China Daily October 29, 2004)