Hubei Provincial Library

Hubei Provincial Library

The Hubei Provincial Library is located at No. 25, Gongzheng Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan, on the shore of Shahu Lake, with the mighty Yangtze River on one side and the beautiful East Lake on the other. The library was founded in 1904 by Zhang Zhidong and is the earliest established provincial-level public library in China.

The original site was at the southern foot of Snake Hill on Wuluo Road, but it has now been fully relocated to the new building on Gongzheng Road. The new library features a grand structure and unique architectural style. The main building has eight floors above ground and two underground, covering a total construction area of over 100,000 square meters. The design of the main structure is inspired by the concept “A Crane Dancing in the Chu Sky, Wisdom Soaring through the Clouds,” embodying a distinct contemporary style and rich cultural significance of the Chu region. The building itself is a highly artistic masterpiece.

The library houses the Hubei Branch of the National Cultural Information Resources Sharing Project, the Hubei Provincial Ancient Books Preservation Center, a Children’s Library, a Digital Library Experience Area, a Braille Library, expert research rooms, as well as lecture halls and exhibition halls. It offers a rich collection of books for the public. Every visitor feels as if they have entered an ocean of knowledge, able to fulfill their reading needs.

Tour Guide

The library is divided into the East Zone and the West Zone: the West Zone mainly contains children’s books and Chinese publications; the East Zone includes braille books, foreign language materials, digital reading areas, and a film screening hall. The main service desk and the cloakroom are both located in the East Zone.

Special Notes

1. The first, second, and third floors operate on an open-shelf reading system. Readers may read inside the library but cannot borrow materials, and no registration is required.

2. Except where specially approved, photography and videography are prohibited in reading areas.

Address: No. 25, Gongzheng Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan

Type: Library

Recommended Visit Duration: About 1 hour

Phone: 086-27-65398578; 027-65398570

Official Website: http://portal.library.hb.cn/

Social Media Accounts:

Opening Hours:

Monday: 12:30–20:30; Tuesday–Sunday: 8:30–20:30; Public Holidays: 9:00–17:00. During the morning closure on Mondays, readers can borrow and return books at the 24-hour self-service library located at the south gate on the second floor. Additionally, some reading rooms within the library have their own specific opening hours, which can be found on the official website.

Admission:

Free entry. The first, second, and third floors allow card-free reading, while the fourth, fifth, and sixth floors require a library card for access.