Nanjing Library

Nanjing Library

Nanjing Library, abbreviated as Nan Tu, is the third-largest library in China, the fourth-largest in Asia, a National First-Class Library, one of the first batch of key national protection units for ancient books, and also the literature resource support center of Jiangsu Province.

The predecessor of Nanjing Library was the Jiangnan Library, founded in 1907, which was China's first public library. In 1927, it was renamed the National Central University Chinese Studies Library. In 1933, the Nationalist Government established the National Central Library. In 1952, the Chinese Studies Library and the original Central Library merged to form the current Nanjing Library.

As of the end of 2013, Nanjing Library’s total collection exceeded 11 million volumes, making it the third-largest library in China and the fourth-largest in Asia, second only to the National Library of China and Shanghai Library. Its collection includes 1.6 million ancient books, among which 140,000 are rare editions, and 700,000 are documents from the Republican Era. The collection boasts many treasures, such as manuscripts from the Tang Dynasty, Buddhist scriptures from the Liao Dynasty, and printed books from the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. A total of 454 items from the collection have been included in the National Precious Ancient Books Catalog.

Website

http://www.jslib.org.cn/

Transportation

Line 3 of the Nanjing Metro, Daxinggong Station; Nanjing Library Station on bus routes 3, 31, 80, 202, and 313

Scenic Spot Location

No. 189, Zhongshan East Road, Xuanwu District, Nanjing City