Ancient Yue Library

Ancient Yue Library

The Ancient Yue Library is a cultural relic protection unit of Zhejiang Province.

Located on Shengli West Road in the urban area of Shaoxing, Zhejiang, adjacent to the Datong Academy. It was founded by Xu Shulan (1837–1902) in the late Qing Dynasty. The Ancient Yue Library is the earliest library in China’s history to open to the public and the first to feature characteristics of a modern public library.

The founder of the Ancient Yue Library was Xu Shulan from Shanyin. Xu Shulan was a retired official from the Board of War. Inspired by Western culture and influenced by reformist ideals, he referred to the charters of libraries from various countries in the East and West. With the purpose of preserving tradition and promoting innovation, he donated his personal collection of over 70,000 volumes. In 1903, he purchased a plot of land measuring one mu and six fen in his hometown of Shaoxing, Zhejiang, spending 32,960 taels of silver to construct the library, which officially opened to people of all social strata in 1904. In terms of management methods, it not only inherited the traditions of feudal libraries but also adopted advanced foreign practices. The library compiled the "Ancient Yue Library Catalogue," initially divided into five sections: Classics, History, Philosophy, Literature, and Current Affairs, organized into 35 volumes; later it was reorganized into Academic and Political sections, totaling 20 volumes. Each of the two main sections was further divided into 24 categories, with each category further subdivided. While many category names were traditional, the subcategories showed a trend toward unified classification of both Chinese and Western scholarship. The establishment of the Ancient Yue Library marked a transition from private libraries to public libraries in China and also signified the birth of modern libraries in the country.

From “Private Collection” to “Public Viewing,” the Ancient Yue Library pioneered this shift in its time. Though it may appear unremarkable at first glance, this ancient library holds milestone significance in the history of Chinese libraries. Traditional “libraries” had always emphasized “storage” and kept their collections secret. However, over 100 years ago, Xu Shulan, from the Xu family—the foremost of Shaoxing’s four great gentry clans—returned to his hometown after resigning from his official post in the capital. He sought to save the nation through education and, at his own expense, invested 32,960 taels of silver to establish the Ancient Yue Library. From the very beginning, it was made available for public “viewing,” transforming “one person’s books into the books of thousands,” making it the first privately-owned library in China’s library development history to feature characteristics of a public library.

Moreover, the “openness” of the Ancient Yue Library at that time would still sound refreshingly progressive to us today: it was open to the public daily, with visitors entering by ticket, taking assigned seats, and waiting outside if the seats were full. The “Ancient Yue Library Charter” displayed on the wall clearly stated that borrowing methods “followed the charters of libraries in the East and West.” Under Xu Shulan’s principle of “preserving tradition while promoting innovation,” the library “collected books from both the East and the West,” and accepted donations through multiple channels from society and individuals. One of its practices was to welcome individuals to deposit idle books at the library for safekeeping and access, thanks to its superior storage facilities and management conditions.

Not only that, the legend of the Ancient Yue Library also lies in the fact that at least a dozen scholars who left their mark in the history of Chinese culture once studied here. Among the most celebrated stories is that of Qian Xuantong. In the early 20th century, a poor scholar from Huzhou arrived in Shaoxing. One day, as this young man named Qian Xuantong pondered where his next meal would come from among a crowd of people wearing felt hats, he met a man in a long robe. This kind-hearted “man in the robe” led him into a large mansion. The scholar instinctively looked up and read the bold clerical script above the gate: Ancient Yue Library. Qian Xuantong could never erase this day or this benefactor from his memory. Because from that day on, his fate became intertwined with this library. He studied diligently here, even enjoying free board and lodging. Not only did a windfall come his way, but so did a “Lin Daiyu.” Before long, Qian Xuantong married the library owner’s granddaughter, Xu ??? (name unclear), the granddaughter of Xu Shulan, and started a family. That turn of events was both surreal and real. After graduating from the library, he became a renowned Chinese linguist and philologist in China and also found his lifelong partner and a like-minded companion in scholarship.

Phone

0575-85154056

Transportation

Bus Routes 35, 39, 51, 52, get off at Fushan Bridge Station on Fushan West Road

Attraction Location

No. 503, Shengli West Road, Yuecheng District, Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Zhejiang Province