Qiuxu Book Depository

Qiuxu Book Depository

Qiuxu Book Depository is a cultural relic protection unit of Shandong Province.

Qiuxu Book Depository, located at No. 257 Daming Lake Road, Lixia District, Jinan City, Shandong Province, borders Daming Lake to the north and Xiahui Garden to the east. It was originally the library building of the former Shandong Provincial Library, constructed between 1935 and 1936 in a modern architectural style. The predecessor of the Shandong Provincial Library was the Shandong Provincial Library, which was situated on the southwestern shore of Daming Lake and completed in December 1909. Its architectural layout was modeled after the Tianyi Pavilion, a book depository in Ningbo, Zhejiang. At that time, it was called Xiahui Garden, and its main structures included the Haiyue Tower and Hongya Pavilion.

In 1928, Japan sent troops to Jinan under the pretext of protecting Japanese residents. The Shandong Provincial Library, adjacent to the headquarters of the Kuomintang’s Shandong Provincial Party Department, was affected by the conflict. Most of its buildings were destroyed, the roof of the original library building was punctured, and its foundation was also damaged by the tremors. After 1929, the volume of books had grown beyond the capacity of the original library building. As a result, a new library building was planned and constructed in 1934, named “Qiuxu Book Depository,” meaning “Kui Star governs Qi, Xu Star governs Lu, encompassing the territories of Qi and Lu according to their respective celestial divisions.”

Before the completion of the new reading building in 1984, Qiuxu Book Depository served as the main structure of the library. It was long used for book acquisition, cataloging, storage, and lending. Its collection included rare ancient books, general ancient texts, books from the Haiyuan Pavilion and related artifacts (most of which have now been relocated to the new Shandong Provincial Library on East Second Ring Road). In 2004, the building underwent renovation and maintenance, and its function transitioned from a book depository to study rooms and reading rooms.

Additionally, the building was used as the auditorium for the Headquarters of the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the 11th War Zone in 1945. The surrender ceremony of the Japanese forces in the Shandong Theater of war was held here. At that time, Deputy Commander-in-Chief Li Yannian inscribed a plaque with the words “I Wu Wei Yang” (Our Martial Spirit Soars) to commemorate this historic event.

The building faces east with its back to the west, featuring a mountain-shaped floor plan. The rear of the building is connected by corridors, and it has a reinforced concrete structure. The building has two floors (expansion was also considered at the time). The upper floor initially housed six bookstack rooms with wooden shelves, while the lower floor originally contained sixteen rooms for reading areas and exhibitions, including a large central reading room that could accommodate 400 people. The eastern façade is divided into five sections, slightly protruding at the southern and northern ends and the central part. The parapet in the middle features a stepped gable design resembling horse-head walls, with the central section inscribed with the four characters “Qiuxu Book Depository” written by Fu Zengxiang. The parapets at the southern and northern ends adopt a similar design, creating a harmonious visual echo with the central section.

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Shandong Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units