Former Site of the Xujiahui Library

Former Site of the Xujiahui Library

The Former Site of the Xujiahui Library is a protected cultural heritage site of Shanghai.

The Xujiahui Library was first built in 1847, making it the oldest modern library still existing in Shanghai. It also stands as a microcosm of the eastward spread of Western learning and the westward transmission of Eastern knowledge in China.

The surviving Xujiahui Library consists of two buildings arranged in a north-south cross layout: the North Building, also known as the Main Reading Room, was constructed in 1897. It features a two-story double-pitched roof and a brick-and-wood structure, with multiple European-style pilasters, pointed arches, and fir louvers on its north and south facades. The design and style of the two-story structure integrate both Chinese and Western cultural elements. The upper floor serves as the Western book repository, with its layout and bookshelves modeled after the Vatican Library. The lower floor was originally the Chinese book repository, designed in the style of the Ming Dynasty’s Tianyi Pavilion in Ningbo. The South Building, originally the Jesuit residence – also known as the priests’ building – underwent several renovations after its completion and was finalized as a four-story sloped-roof structure with an outer corridor design in 1931.

Shanghai Library Xujiahui Library (Western Rare Books)

In 1956, the Xujiahui Library was officially incorporated into the Shanghai Library. Later, collections from the Royal Asiatic Society Library, the Haiguang Library, and the former Shanghai Municipal Council Library were also moved to the Xujiahui Library. Today, the Shanghai Library holds a collection of 560,000 volumes of old foreign language documents.

The current Xujiahui Library site houses 320,000 volumes of foreign language materials published between 1477 and 1950, covering nearly 20 languages including Latin, English, French, German, Russian, and Japanese. Its content spans various fields such as philosophy, religion, politics, economics, linguistics, literature, art, history, and geography. Among them, early Chinese–foreign language dictionaries, Chinese classic translations into Western languages, Chinese literary classics in Western translations, and European Sinology materials published before 1800 are particularly unique.

Today’s Xujiahui Library not only continues its functions of reading services and document preservation, but has also expanded into areas such as document research and exhibition tourism, to meet society’s demand for human cultural heritage – including historic architecture and old foreign language documents.

Shanghai Library Xujiahui Library (Visitor & Reading Guide)

The Xujiahui Library integrates reader services, document preservation, and research development. The first floor is the exhibition area, where various special document displays and calligraphy and painting exhibitions are held periodically. The second floor is the reader reading area, offering services such as iPac inquiries, document copying, and reference consultations.

The foreign language materials collected at the Xujiahui Library include nearly 20 languages such as Latin, English, French, German, Japanese, and Russian, covering various disciplines like philosophy, literature, history, political science, sociology, and religion. Among them, Western rare books published before 1800, old Japanese documents, Catholic theology materials, and Sinology resources are particularly distinctive.

Xujiahui Library Visiting Hours: From Monday to Saturday, 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM, visitors can freely tour the lobby and exhibition halls. A new large-screen promotional video titled "Xujiahui Library" has been added to the lobby, allowing visitors to learn about the architectural features and treasured collections of the library.

Opening Hours

Monday to Saturday: 9:00 – 17:00; Closed on Sundays; National holidays: 9:00 – 16:00

Address of Shanghai Library Xujiahui Library • Address: No. 80, Caoyang North Road, Shanghai

• Postal Code: 200030

• Phone: 021－64874095*208

• Email: wwb@libnet.sh.cn

• Website: http：//www.library.sh.cn