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China revealed through National Library's Asian Collection

The fascinating observations of European travellers to China, from the earliest adventures of Marco Polo in 1271 to the eve of World War II in 1939, are revealed in the National Library's latest exhibition Xanadu: Encounters with China on show from 19 August to 14 November 2004.

Xanadu is an exhibition of more than 150 items chosen exclusively from the Library's collections including the London Missionary Society - an almost unrivalled collection in Chinese language of observations about the social life of 19th century China; Walter Perceval Yetts - containing more than 3000 items relating to Chinese art, archaeology and the origins of Chinese script; and material from the Library's Pictures, Manuscripts, Maps and Ephemera collections.

Jan Fullerton, Director-General of the National Library said, "The quality and breadth of the Library's Asian Collection is outstanding, and a credit to the foresight of the Library's policy makers immediately after World War II. Today we have a collection built on strong foundations that has been important in building relationships and increasing mutual understanding with our regional neighbours."

Items in the exhibition include the Munster atlas of 1550, the Library's oldest atlas; Jesuit engravings depicting the fabulous Yuan Ming Yuan summer palace; a 19th century lithograph showing an apartment in a Mandarin's house; Richard Hakluyt's account, The Principal Navigations … and Discoveries of the English Nation, published 1599-1600; Australian architect Hardy Wilson's drawings from 1922 of China's imperial architecture; and rarely-seen photographs portraying Hong Kong, Beijing and fashionable Shanghai in the 1930s.

A travel account by Australian journalist George 'Chinese' Morrison (1862-1920) transport the visitor into turbulent 19th century China and the program of the first Australian performance of Puccini's opera 'Turandot' in 1928 is a reference to 20th century contemporary culture.

Curator Martin Terry from the National Library said, "Xanadu reflects a China that doesn't exist anymore. There is a strong people focus in the exhibition. Through the drawings and photographs depicting all aspects of court and street life, visitors will gain a greater understanding of the history of the country and its society."

Media contacts:

Yvonne Kennedy
Director Communications and Marketing
Telephone: 02 6262 1353 or 0411 753 891
Email: ykennedy@nla.gov.au

Julia Dean
Communications Officer
Telephone: 02 6262 1571
Email: jdean@nla.gov.au

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