A Guide for SEUers to the City of Literature – Nanjing City

原创 SEU Southeast University

A Guide for SEUers to the City of Literature

· Nanjing City ·

Editor’s Note:

On October 30, 2019, came the announcement from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) that Nanjing’s bid to become China’s first City of Literature had been successful. This article is going to offer all SUEers a guide to the literary world of Nanjing.

Nanjing City Wall (Ming City Wall)

With a history dating back 2,500 years, Nanjing has always been a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having served as the capital city for several Chinese dynasties and governments. Nanjing City Wall is one of the key historical and cultural remains of Ming Dynasty (1386) under the state protection. It is also an important cultural relic for the inscriptions on the bricks, recording the changes of the wall over dynasties and playing an indispensable role in studying Nanjing’s literay history.

How to get there:

Please take Metro Line 3 to Jiming Temple Station, walk out of the station from Exit 4, further walk northward for 5 minutes and you can then see the wall.

Nanjing Library

With a history dating back to 1907, when it was first established as Jiangnan Library, Nanjing Library was regarded as one of China's first national libraries, featuring the third largest collection in China and the fourth largest in Asia with over 12 million books in total. Four hundred and fifty-four ancient titles in the archives are listed in China's Catalogue of National Rare Books.

How to get there:

Please take Metro Line 3 to Daxinggong Station, walk out of the station from Exit 5, and further walk north-eastward for 5 min and you can then see the library.

Literary Works

As a major cultural hub in China and, more broadly, Asia, Nanjing has long been serving as a critical site for the development of the writing, publishing and collection of books. Some of China's most exceptional printed works were produced in Nanjing, such as the expansive Yongle Encyclopaedia and the literary classic, Dream of the Red Chamber.

How to get access to them:

These books are shelfed at the Foreign Languages Reading Room, 4th floor of Liwenzheng Library, located at Jiulonghu Campus, Southeast University.

Librairie Avant-Garde

Nanjing is also recognized as a city of poetry and a hub of literature as it highlights 100 cultural centers and over 300 book stores, among which Librairie Avant-Garde stands out for its innovation. It is the city’s largest independent bookstore and has been described as the most beautiful store in China by international media agencies such as BBC, CNN and National Geographic.

How to get there:

Please take Metro Line 3 to Nanjing South Railway Station and transfer to Metro Line 1 to Zhujiang Road Station, walk out of the station from Exit 1, and then you can take a sharing bike to the bookstore.

It’s worth noting that SEU library is right now holding an event titled “Reading Classics in the City of Literature” to encourage SEUers to read classics so that SEUers can understand the literay history of Nanjing in a deeper manner including culture, cultural context, beliefs, and values etc.. More details are accessible on the official website of SEU library.

With these examples, just the tip of the iceberg, as Nanjing’s literary credentials, the award from UNESCO will undoubtedly inspire many SEUers to put pen to paper, insuring that Nanjing’s fine reputation be immortalised as the City of Literature.

Some pictures are sourced from the Internet

Written by Pang Xuan

Proofread by Melody Zhang

Edited by Qi Yuchen

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