China has begun collecting handwritten letters between family members from Chinese people both at home and abroad, as experts say they may become precious cultural heritage with the development of modern correspondence technologies.

"These letters are a package of various cultures in literature, aesthetics and calligraphy. They also reflect the development of China's traditional rites, papermaking industry, post and package services," said Bai Gengsheng, deputy director of the China Folk Literature and Art Society, in charge of the collection project.

"They have not only helped maintain the emotional attachment between family members but also record the changing society over the past hundreds or even thousands of years," Bai said.

Bai worries that the next generation may know little about handwritten letters as an increasing number of people have turned to e-mails, cellphones and other modern channels for communication.

He said the project will welcome all kinds of handwritten letters between family members, including the letter paper and envelopes. There are no restrictions on their lengths, the time when they are written or their addresses.

China's National Museum will select the 100 most valuable letters for its permanent collection according to the evaluation of experts, he said.

The project, jointly launched by the National Museum, China Folk Literature and Art Society and a Chinese nation culture research institute, started from April 11. Its first phase will last two or three months.

Source: Xinhua