The Tianyige Library: A Symbol of the Continuity of Chinese Culture
Situ, Ping
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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/3720
Description
Title
The Tianyige Library: A Symbol of the Continuity of Chinese Culture
Author(s)
Situ, Ping
Issue Date
2007
Keyword(s)
Libraries and society
Libraries in China
Tianyige Library (China)
Abstract
The Tianyige (TYG) Library is the most ancient private library still
in existence in China. It is also the oldest private library in Asia and
one of the three earliest private libraries in the world. It was built
between 1561 and 1566 by the Defense Minister Fan Qin during the
Ming Dynasty. TYG witnessed the glories and the turmoil of the Ming
and Qing dynasties, war, revolution, and numerous social changes
and its own triumphs and downfalls. After 400 years of preservation
and management by thirteen generations of the Fan family, in 1949
it was donated to the government at the time of the establishment of
the People’s Republic of China. The collection is strongest in local
histories and imperial examination records during the Ming period.
It is a remarkable representation of the Chinese private book-collecting
tradition as well as a symbol of the continuity of Chinese culture
and civilization.
Publisher
Johns Hopkins University Press and the Graduate School of Library and Information Science. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
ISSN
0024-2594
Type of Resource
text
Language
en
Permalink
http://hdl.handle.net/2142/3720
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