Tianyi Pavilion: A 400-Year-Old Library

Tianyi Pavilion is located by Moon Lake in Ningbo's old town. It is one of the oldest private libraries in China, built during the Jiajing period of the Ming dynasty by Fan Qin, a former vice minister of war who had retired to his hometown. Fan Qin was a book lover and collected many ancient books during his time in office. After returning to his hometown, he devoted himself to building this library and set strict family rules for his descendants to ensure the library's survival. Despite the passage of time, the library has survived to this day and is now the Tianyi Pavilion Museum. The name "Tianyi Pavilion" comes from the ancient text "Tian Yi Sheng Shui, Di Liu Cheng Zhi", which means "water extinguishes fire". It reflects the Fan family's dedication to protecting books. After several generations of maintenance and development, Tianyi Pavilion has become a combination of a library and a garden. Tianyi Pavilion is divided into three main areas. The Book Collection Area is located at the west gate and is the core area of Tianyi Pavilion. It includes the library, which once housed more than 70,000 volumes of rare books, as well as the Dongming Caotang, the Fan family residence, and the Qianjin Zhai. This area was where Fan Qin and his family lived and stored their books. The Garden Area is located in the center of the scenic area. It has the typical features of a Jiangnan garden, with ponds, rockeries, pavilions, and trees creating an elegant Jiangnan courtyard. The Exhibition Area is centered around the Qin Family Ancestral Hall, a modern residential building. It is used to display the history of Tianyi Pavilion, as well as related calligraphy, paintings, and local chronicles. 🌟 Highlights: There are four stone tiger sculptures in the Tianyi Pavilion garden, known as "book guardians". They have different expressions, representing the four emotions of "joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness". These stone tigers were originally ornaments from an abandoned Ming dynasty house and were moved here when the Tianyi Pavilion garden was rebuilt. The green moss on the tigers gives them an ancient look, but their expressions are cute, like four big cats. Their role as protectors of books aligns with the mission of Tianyi Pavilion, making them a perfect fit. Visitors can try to find all four "book guardians". To mark the 60th anniversary of China-France diplomatic relations and the China-France Year of Culture and Tourism, Tianyi Pavilion is hosting two exhibitions: "Literature and Memory: A Flaubert Special Exhibition" and "The History of Book Collection in Rouen". The exhibitions showcase the life of the famous French writer Gustave Flaubert and include manuscripts of his famous work "Madame Bovary". The Rouen Library is one of the largest collectors of ancient books in France, and its collection is a testament to the cultural exchange between East and West.