By the end of May 2022, the scanning work of the text was finished, and the project moved into data processing. A team of young editors then spent more than two years checking the data page by page, and along the way, they discovered something unexpected: the playful side of the massive and complex text.

　　"Most people think such a book would be too difficult to read," said Zhang Yang, deputy director of the digital publishing center at Duzhe Publishing & Media, the project's lead. "But as we went page by page, we found plenty of vivid images that could spark modern readers' curiosity."

　　What started as a routine check soon turned into a curatorial mission. The team selected 122 of the most striking images and organized them into twelve sections, covering tea culture, astronomy, architecture, medicine, costume, and even weapon-making. The editors gave the sections funny titles such as "Ancient Gardening Know-How" and "Ancient Stargazing Guide," bridging the gap between centuries-old social life and the modern day.

　　A combo image depicting an ancient waterwheel and an ancient mill is on display at an exhibition featuring the digital version of the Siku Quanshu, or The Complete Library of the Four Treasuries, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Aug. 25, 2026. (Xinhua/Lang Bingbing)

　　One section is called "World Mystery Box," featuring images from geographical works by Western missionaries during the Qing Dynasty. These images depict the Colosseum in Rome, the Colossus of Rhodes, and exotic and mythical creatures, such as lions and mermaids.

　　"We had long heard of the Siku Quanshu by name, but this is our first time seeing it up close," said Liang Tao, a visitor from Xi'an. "It's both fun and awe-inspiring."