Over the past few years, libraries have mushroomed as tranquil retreats among the hustle of Shanghai. Last year, 255 libraries opened in the city, from downtown to the suburbs. Among them, Shanghai Library East is the largest, welcoming 850,000 visitors since it opened on September 28, 2022. On the first day of 2023, the landmark Zikawei Library designed by British architect David Chipperfield in a Basilica style opened, and up to the end of February, it saw 180,000 visitors. The Chinese characters Zi Ka Wei at the entrance in the style of the handwriting of Xu Guangqi (1562-1633), the Chinese scientist and friend of Italian missionary Matteo Ricci (1552-1610), and the characters’ pronunciation sounds like that for Xujiahui in Shanghainese, where it is located. “The Total Star Map on the North and South Sides of Equator” charted by Xu and others is one of the library’s most prized works.
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