Established in 1947, Chongqing Library boasts a collection of over 3 million volumes, making it one of the most complete libraries in terms of publications from the Chinese War of Resistance period. It is also renowned for its extensive and high-quality collection of ancient thread-bound books in Southwest China, and it is one of the early depositories of United Nations documentation in China.
The library occupies an area of 30,000 square meters with a construction area of 50,000 square meters. The total investment for its construction was 300 million yuan. It features various reading rooms for Chinese books, periodicals, local documents, ancient books, United Nations documents, foreign language documents, and electronic documents, as well as specialized reading rooms for children and visually impaired readers, with 1,869 reading seats and 1,717 information points.
The library is equipped with two advanced auditoriums – an academic auditorium with 416 seats and a multi-purpose hall with 200 seats. Additionally, it includes an 800 square meter exhibition hall, several classrooms, and is complemented by a restaurant and a hotel.
Chongqing Library consists of three main elements: an open public reading area, a secure public area, and a private area, all surrounding a landscaped courtyard. The beautiful scenery of the courtyard can be seen from the nearby reading rooms and leisure areas. The exterior wall of the library uses two design elements – glass and stone – to distinguish between public and secure areas. The glass-walled public area faces Fengtian Avenue, offering transparency to both indoor readers and passersby. A wide corridor connects the public square of the library with the public reading area. The stone-built book storage and service areas provide sufficient security for the library’s collection.
The library is open all year round: Monday from 14:00 to 20:00; Tuesday to Sunday from 09:00 to 20:00; and on Chinese New Year’s Eve from 09:00 to 14:00. The opening times for different areas within the library vary, and specific business hours should be confirmed according to the day’s schedule.
