Scholar, connoisseur and collector of Chinese antiquities, Rong Geng (1894-1983), spent a lifetime accumulating artistic and cultural rarities and later donated all of them to the State. His former collection is on show at the National Art Museum of China in Beijing. The exhibition runs through Jan 3. [Photo by Jiang Dong/China Daily]

10. Honoring a scholar who made the largest donation of antiquities

National Art Museum of China (Oct 31- Jan 3)

Rong Geng (1894-1983), a scholar of Chinese paleography, educator and connoisseur of antiquities, is little known to the general public. However, his extensive studies of ancient Chinese writings and his former collection of archaic oracle bones and bronzes continue to enrich people's cultural life.

Rong once said, "Knowledge should be shared and used by all people." In his lifetime, Rong donated to the State nearly 200 bronze objects ranging in age and variety, with the oldest dating back more than 2,000 years, all of which are now housed at numerous public museums and universities.

It is believed that, to this day, Rong's donation is still the largest made by any private collector of such antiquities to the country.

Rong also donated more than 1,000 classical Chinese ink paintings and calligraphy works, one of the largest submissions of ancient art on paper the country has received.

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