CUHK Library E-newsletter

Drawing on academic and professional expertise from the History Department, the Institute of Chinese Studies and CUHK Library, this publication illustrates the early contact between China and the West. In a historic first, five of these books were loaned to the Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM) for its ‘The Forbidden City and the Palace of Versailles: China-France Cultural Encounters in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries’ exhibition (18.12.2024 - 04.05.2025) to commemorate the 60th anniversary of China’s establishment of diplomatic relations with France.

From left: The University Librarian of CUHK, Mr. Benjamin Meunier;

Director of the Hong Kong Palace Museum, Dr. Louis Ng; and

Associate University Librarian of CUHK, Ms. Li Lai-fong

CUHK Library’s rare books reflect profound and far-reaching exchange between China and France
during the 17th and 18th centuries, spanning science, craftsmanship, art and philosophy

Enhance access to cultural treasures

The Western rare book collection at CUHK Library is relatively young, as it was established in the past 30 years. However, it stands out as the first library in Hong Kong to have its Chinese rare books recognized as national treasures, with 15 of these were selected for inclusion in the National Catalogue of Precious Ancient Books in 2020. This recognition highlights the CUHK Library's significant contribution to culture. Thanks to the generous support from a number of institutional funders and private donors, along with the Library’s proactive curation, special collections of CUHK Library have grown significantly. This vision has enabled the Library to meaningfully contribute to exhibitions like the current show at HKPM, showcasing its treasures to a wider audience beyond academia.

Funders and policy makers in Hong Kong righty expect universities and cultural institutions to make an impact with the funding they receive. It is crucial for government-funded universities to tell the story of Hong Kong and China, showcasing how Hong Kong has evolved into an international platform for benefit of society in Hong Kong, China and the wider world. Through partnerships with other universities and cultural bodies, CUHK Library can enhance its contributions to the community.

Over the past decades, CUHK Library has engaged in deep collaboration with local universities to enhance research effort. Last year, the Joint University Librarians Advisory Committee in Hong Kong established a digital initiatives committee to promote the digitization and preservation of Hong Kong’s cultural heritage. By working collaboratively, CUHK Library can ensure its materials are preserved and made accessible to the wider world in telling the story of Hong Kong and China.

Promote cultural heritage

The CUHK Library actively collaborates with the arts and culture sector, particularly among Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums (GLAM). GLAM refers to these cultural institutions, which aim to provide access to knowledge and preserve cultural resources for researchers and the public. In 2024, the Library, in collaboration with the International Association of Theatre Critics (IATC(HK)), hosted the 34th Conference of the International Association of Libraries, Museums, Archives, and Documentation Centres of the Performing Arts (SIBMAS) at CUHK. This marked the first SIBMAS Conference presented in Asia.

The partnership between CUHK Library and HKPM demonstrates the collaboration between academic and cultural institutions in preserving heritage and educating the public. Over the past years, CUHK Library has also lent its special collections to various museums for exhibitions. Notably, the Art In the Camps archives went to the Wende Museum in the United States for the ‘Vietnam in Transition, 1976-Present’ exhibition (01.04.2023 - 22.10.2023), rare books were loaned to the Hong Kong Heritage Museum for the ‘Between the Lines - The Legends of Hong Kong Printing’ exhibition (07.10.2020 - 26.07.2021), and Chinese rare books made available to the Hong Kong Museum of History for the ‘The Radiant Ming 1368-1644 through the Min Chiu Society Collection’ exhibition (16.12.2015 - 04.04.2016). Books on Hong Kong literature were also loaned to China, Taiwan and Hong Kong Book Fair for exhibitions. Looking forwards, CUHK Library will continue to build collaborative initiatives between the CUHK Art Museum, which opened a beautiful new wing, the Lo Kwee Seong Pavilion, this March. These collaborations provide invaluable opportunities for the special collections to engage with and benefit the community.