ISSN 1443-0568 | no. 69 | June 2004
Important Chinese Donations
Two recent donations of Chinese books have further strengthened the Chinese collections of the National Library.
In late 2003, the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet passed on to the Library a set of four Chinese literary works presented by the Chinese Government to the Australian Government on the occasion of the 2001 APEC Leaders’ Conference in Shanghai. Housed in specially crafted cherry wood boxes, the four titles are well-known classics of early Chinese literature that have endured over the centuries and are probably more widely known now than at any time before.
Hong lou meng (Dream of the Red Mansion) is a complex ‘Romeo and Juliet’ story, while Shui hu zhuan (The Water Margin) is a story of outlaws, first published in the 14th century. Xi you ji (Journey to the West) is the well-known story of the Monkey King, first published in the 16th century, and San guo yan yi (Romance of the Three Kingdoms) is an epic tale of heroism and Machiavellian intrigue. All the tales have been continuously republished since they first appeared in written form, and have been further popularised for English speaking audiences through translations, TV series and video games.
Demonstrating the reverence of the Chinese for their literary traditions, the books are beautifully handwritten by Shen Hongsheng, a famous contemporary calligrapher, and bound in the traditional style. One of the titles, San guo yan yi, is featured in the Library’s 2004 exhibition, Future Memory: Recent Acquisitions of the National Library.
Also, in late 2003, the Library received a major donation of 500 volumes of
recent commercial Chinese publishing from the State Council Information Office
of the Chinese Government. Arranged as part of the Chinese book fair in Sydney
but delayed by the SARS outbreak in early 2003, the titles were presented in
a special ceremony in Sydney to Mrs Wan Wong, the National Library’s Senior
Chinese Librarian. All recent publications, the titles cover a variety of subjects,
including literature, art, architecture, and the history of China. Those titles
which were duplicates or intended for a popular audience were passed on to the
ACT Public Library Service.
—Amelia McKenzie, Director, Asian Collections
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