China has rescued and repaired about 300,000 old books and manuscripts from minority ethnic groups and published more than 5,000 of these during the past two decades, according to the State Ethnic Affairs Commission (SEAC).

A large number of these books are very old and broken ones in different ethnic languages, said SEAC sources.

These books include epigraphs on stones and manuscripts written on different kinds of articles including silk, bamboo plate and paper. Many of the books are myths about heroes of different ethnic groups, including Mongolian, Tibetan and Kirghiz.

According to the sources, 25 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities as well as some prefecture- and county-level areas have set up special institutions to protect old ethnic books.
 
(Xinhua News Agency May 27, 2005)