Xin Jin Shan Chinese Library

Chinese-language library in Ballarat, Victoria
37°33′42″S 143°51′27″E / 37.56156548579987°S 143.85751236441786°E / -37.56156548579987; 143.85751236441786LocationBallarat, Victoria, AustraliaTypePublic libraryEstablished2023Other informationWebsitexjslibrary.org.au

The Xin Jin Shan Chinese Library (Traditional Chinese: 新金山中文圖書館) is a public library of Chinese-language books in Ballarat, Victoria. It was founded in 2023 by Haoliang Sun and supported by numerous donations. With over 200,000 books, the Library hosts the largest collection of Chinese-language books in the Southern Hemisphere. It is located at 200 Sturt Street.

History

Founded by retired philosopher and educator Haoliang Sun, the Xin Jin Shan Chinese Library (Traditional Chinese: 新金山中文圖書館) was initially set up in a garage.[1][2] Xin Jin Shan (Chinese: 新金山, lit. 'New Gold Mountain') was a term used by Chinese immigrants in the 1850s to refer to the Victorian goldfields.[3] At one point, around a quarter of people in Ballarat were Chinese. Sun donated 10,000 books from the collection of his Mount Waverly Chinese bookshop, which closed 20 years ago, with the rest purchased or donated from universities, Chinese publishers and the Chinese Australian community.[1][2] Volunteers helped to transport, catalogue and sort the items.[1]

In April 2022, the Library moved into 200 Sturt Street, a former bank building on the corners of Ballarat's Lydiard and Sturt Streets, after Sun purchased a floor of the building.[4] He later purchased the entire building.[1] The Library spans 16 rooms across 700m2.[2]

The Xin Jin Shan Chinese Library officially opened on 22 January 2023.[1] It is open to the public free-of-charge. Committee member Charles Zhang, president of the Chinese Australian Cultural Society Ballarat, told SBS Mandarin that the Library also served as an education and research centre for Chinese languages and Chinese Australian settlement and a "multi-functional centre for local communities".[2]

Contents

As of July 2022[update], the Xin Jin Shan Chinese Library contains over 240,000 documents—the largest collection of Chinese-language books in the Southern Hemisphere. They are categorized into sections for education, Chinese literature, world literature, biography, humanities, sociology and philosophy. It stores some of the only known copies of certain manuscripts, such as an 1857 Chinese Bible from the Victorian gold rush and a research compilation into the Chinese language, donated by the University of Melbourne.[1][2] The Library contains classic books such as the Bencao Gangmu.[2]

The library contains several notable artworks by Chinese artists. At the entrance hangs a Shen Jiawei painting titled Silent Dialogue, which depicts Guboo Ted Thomas, an Aboriginal Australian leader with a Chinese mother.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Kirkham, Rochelle (10 January 2023). "Largest Chinese library in Southern Hemisphere Xin Jin Shan set to open in Ballarat". ABC News. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Yuan, Olivia (4 July 2022). "New chapter: One of the largest Chinese libraries in the Southern Hemisphere opens in Ballarat". SBS Mandarin. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  3. ^ "Harvest of Endurance scroll: Chinese gold miners". National Museum of Australia. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  4. ^ Cluff, Caleb (28 April 2022). "Historic Sturt Street building to become significant Chinese library". The Courier. Retrieved 5 February 2024.

External links

  • Official website