By Yan Yiran

In 1561, a significant year for literary collections, two libraries were established on opposite sides of the world: the Tianyige Library in Ningbo, China, founded by Fan Qin, a politician and passionate book collector, and the Library of Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE), by Archbishop Miklós Oláh in Esztergom, Hungary.

Recently, the Tianyige Museum and ELTE, Hungary's oldest university library, conducted a virtual dialogue discussing their architectural histories, the characteristics of their collections, and the differences in book collecting practices between the East and West.

The dialogue between the two ancient libraries began with introductions from their representatives. Dr. Li Kaisheng, Director of the Institute of Ancient Books and Local Documents at the Tianyige Museum, explained, "The Tianyige Library has successfully protected and preserved its collection for over 400 years thanks to the perseverance of the founding family, support from the local community, and government assistance. It now houses nearly 300,000 ancient books, including 80,000 rare volumes."

Dr. Li further detailed that the library originated as the private collection of Fan Qin, a high-ranking military official during the Ming dynasty. Initially, the collection comprised over 70,000 volumes, consisting mainly of non-fiction works that served as inspiration to his extensive political career.

Ms. Guth highlighted that the university library holds specialized collections on China, featuring geographical texts from Rome considered the most precise Western descriptions of China at the time, and scholarly works that analyze Confucianism from various angles. "Interestingly, the authors of these works had never visited China; they based their writings on manuscripts they collected," Guth noted. She expressed a willingness to share a list of ELTE's ancient Chinese books as part of future cultural exchanges.

The session concluded with both teams engaging in discussions about their philosophies on book collecting and visions for the future.

As architectural styles and libraries evolve, the fundamental mission of these institutions remains unchanged: to foster cultural dialogue and preserve the rich heritage of civilizations. This shared commitment was the cornerstone of this enlightening exchange.