The magnificent St Ignatius Catholic Library, the Bibliotheca Zi-Ka-Wei is one of several Jesuit monuments defining historic Xújiāhuì. Established in 1847 by the local Jesuit mission, its priceless book collection in the main library (大书房; Dà Shūfáng) can only be seen by application (tel 5425 9260; limited English) as the free Saturday guided tours are no longer running. The collection of antiquarian tomes, arranged on one floor with a gallery above, is a rare and astonishing treasure.
Home to 560,000 volumes in Greek, Latin and other languages, the edifice consists of two buildings, with the main library itself housed in the lower, two-storey, east-facing building that partially arches over the pavement of North Caoxi Rd.
If you can gain access, wander past rare books on ecclesiastical history, Philosphica, Res Sinenses (Things Chinese) and other erudite branches of Jesuit learning. Photography is not allowed. Adjacent to the magnificent library to the south is the Priest’s Residence.
Visitors can freely access the main reading room of the building, up the stairs on the 2nd floor between the hours of 9am and 4.30pm, where a video revealing the main library can be watched. There is also an art gallery, open to the public, on the ground floor.
