On 31 May, the opening ceremony of the Exhibition of the Return and Rescue of the Yongle Encyclopedia & the inauguration ceremony of the Yongle Encyclopedia Research Center was held in the National Library of China (NLC). Hu Heping, Secretary of the Leading CPC Member Group of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and Minister of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, inaugurated the Yongle Encyclopedia Research Center, and announced the opening of the exhibition. Zhang Xu, a member of the Leading CPC Member Group of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and Vice Minister of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Rao Quan, Director of the NLC, Director of China National Center for Preservation & Conservation of Ancient Books, and Director of the National Museum of Classic Books, and Fu Xinian, Director of the National Cultural Relics Committee, attended the opening ceremony and addressed a speech. Wei Dawei, Secretary of the CPC Committee of the NLC and Deputy Director of the NLC, presided over the ceremony.

This exhibition thoroughly implemented the spirit of General secretary Xi Jinping's reply letter to the senior experts of the NLC, aiming at promoting the development of ancient books preservation and the dissemination of traditional Chinese classics. The exhibition consisted of 5 parts, selected more than 60 titles of more than 70 volumes, including rare books, maps, manuscripts, and so on, and displayed the compilation process, layout appearance, gathering and dispersing changes, and photocopies of the Yongle Encyclopedia.

In the exhibition, 9 volumes of the Yongle Encyclopedia of Jiajing copies were displayed for the first time in recent years. Meanwhile, there were more than 40 ancient books, including Ming transcripts, block-printed editions and rubbings, as well as copies of relevant files collected in the Yongle Encyclopedia. In order to make the audience get better experience of visiting the exhibition, the exhibition used a large number of new media display means, such as interactive games and so on. The audience could look up the chart and database of the Yongle Encyclopedia through the touch screen, and watch the high-definition images of the Yongle Encyclopedia which were collected by the NLC and other collection institutions.

The exhibition was hosted by the NLC (National Museum of Classic Books) and co-sponsored by Zhejiang Xiasha Outlets Business Management Co., Ltd. and the National Library of China Publishing House. It was located in NO. 2 Exhibition Hall of the National Museum of Classic Books, and was open for the public free of charge since 1 June.

At the same time, the inauguration ceremony of the Yongle Encyclopedia Research Center was also held. The establishment of the center aimed to contact and organize experts and scholars at home and abroad to conduct a more comprehensive and in-depth research on the Yongle Encyclopedia, show and promote its cultural essence with contemporary value and world significance, and make due contributions to the inheritance and promotion of Chinese excellent traditional culture and the construction of a strong socialist culture.