Photocopies of Yilin, a century-old journal in Nantong. [Photo/ntfabu.com]

Photocopies of Yilin, a century-old journal in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province, were recently published, according to a launch ceremony held at Haoxi Academy.

Yilin was founded by the Nantong Epigraphy, Calligraphy and Painting Association in 1924 and offers precious material for the study of modern art history in Nantong as well as modern arts associations in China.

On July 7, Yilin published its first issue, and a total of 38 issues had been published before it stopped publishing on Feb 17, 1930. Yilin is a journal consisting mainly of words and some pictures.

The Nantong Cultural and Artistic Creation Research Center spent years collecting the 38 issues, unfolding the history of Zhang Jian (1853-1926), an industrial magnate and scholar, and other Nantong natives in promoting the development of cultural undertakings in the city.

An Yilin journal. [Photo/ntfabu.com]

Experts attending the launch ceremony all agreed that the Nantong Phenomenon in China's art history started at the beginning of the 20th century, with Zhang Jian and other Nantong natives laying a solid foundation for the phenomenon by building Nantong into a Chinese role model and an ideal city of culture.

According to Shang Hui, president and editor-in-chief of Art Magazine, the Nantong Phenomenon refers to an art creation phenomenon that spread across China from Nantong in the 20th century.

During this period, a large number of Nantong artists made a name for themselves across China, and their creations were unlike others in the Jiangnan areas, showcasing a more open vision and an easier acceptance of modern culture.