Suzhou Library

Suzhou Library was founded in 1914 on the basis of Xuegu Hall of Zhengyi Academy in the late Qing Dynasty. It was once "the second library of Jiangsu Province" and one of the earliest public libraries in China. Suzhou Library is now a national first-class library with a collection of 3.73 million books, of which 300000 are ancient books, especially more than 20000 rare books and local documents.

Wu County Library

synonym

Suzhou Library generally refers to Wu County Library

Before the Anti Japanese War, when you enter the gate of Suzhou park, you will see a European style three story clock tower building standing in the north of the fountain. This is the Suzhou Library (later renamed Wuxian Library) building.

It and the second Jiangsu Provincial Library (the predecessor of Suzhou Library today) were two famous public libraries in Suzhou during the period of the Republic of China. However, like Sujia railway, it was destroyed by Japanese aggressors. In the winter of 1937, it was smashed to pieces and razed to the ground by the Japanese with small steel cannons.

Preparation

The building was born in the era of warlords' scuffle, war and disaster, and the people in dire straits. People of insight at that time, feeling that "book education occupies an important position in today's education", initiated the construction of Suzhou Library. According to the report on June 24, the 9th year of the Republic of China, at the instigation of Huang's widow, the late pigment merchant Xi Yuming, his son Shang Shijing, accepted his mother's order and promised to donate 50000 yuan for the construction of Sucheng library. Ye Jing Bei Shen Zai an introduced Xi's Kunji, and met with pan Zhenxiao, director of Wu County's school persuading Institute, and long gengyu, President of education. That is to say, pan Longbei is in charge of all construction matters, and Peng Qingpeng plans to build it.

The building has three floors, and the top floor is surrounded by big self ringing bells, with a total area of about 3700 square meters. It was completed in the winter of 1922. Its scale was first-class at that time: it could collect 500000 books and accommodate 500 people. There are more than 20 offices, cataloguing rooms, reading rooms, children's reading rooms, news reading rooms and cultural relics exhibition rooms. But after the house was built, it couldn't open because of the lack of funds. So we can only recruit from the society. In July 1923, a recruitment list was issued, which read: "the cost of equipment is more than 9000 yuan; the cost of purchasing books is more than 12000 yuan; and 200000 books." Almost all the opening expenses and books needed by the library were included, which shows that the difficulty of running the library at that time was really starting from scratch. In addition, he specially recruited from all walks of life, especially from famous families, classics and history books, various series, books on Natural Science and social science at home and abroad in modern times, as well as children's poems, stories and novels, newspapers and magazines, etc. It took a lot of effort, but when I went to the museum to die, I only had a collection of more than 50000 books.

open a diplomatic or consular mission abroad

Suzhou Library was opened in 1925 and renamed Wu County Library in 1930, under the leadership of Wu County Education Bureau. At the opening of the museum, Zhang Yilin presented a calligraphy plaque, saying: ×× blessed land. Based on the story of ×× Ji written by yishizhen of Yuan Dynasty, he hoped that this place would really become a fairyland for collecting precious books. The plaque was immediately hung on the wall. At the same time, on the wall of the reading room, there is a passage by Sun Yat Sen

In the past, students used to call themselves masters of the school. I despise the idea that it is only suitable for autocratic times. The emperor was the master of the whole country and suppressed the common people. After the students completed their studies in school, they assisted the king to bully the common people. Although they could not be the master of the whole country, they could also be the little master. Today, however, it is not the case. In the transitional period, the people must work together to revitalize. The foundation of rejuvenation lies in the development of national knowledge. People in academia should know the importance of responsibility. Today, being a student in school is a worker in politics and a public servant in society, which is quite different from the idea of the autocratic era. If the academic circles can fulfill their responsibilities, the foundation of the country can be consolidated. I hope you will encourage it. "

From April 4 to 6, the Education Bureau of Wuxian county held an exhibition on educational achievements of Wuxian County in the library. After the meeting, the bureau published a report on the exhibition in the first issue of Volume II of Wu County Education published on May 20, with a photo of the exhibition venue. This photo has become the "portrait" of Wu County Library. Since then, there have been exhibitions held in the museum. The exhibition of air defense knowledge held in April of the 26th year of the Republic of China (1937) has a large scale. Almost all the air defense knowledge that should be prepared at that time has been introduced, which can be called complete. So there's a steady stream of visitors. As we all know, the Japanese aggressors are sharpening their swords, and a war on the rise and fall of the nation is imminent. Sure enough, the fight broke out every few months.

On August 13, the Anti Japanese war broke out in Shanghai, and all walks of life in Suzhou immediately set up the anti enemy support association, which was located in the Wu County Library. Zhang Yilin served as chairman. People from all walks of life have taken part in it and have done a lot of work in publicity, consolation and solicitation. At that time, in the big park, anti Japanese songs resounded through the sky, comforting goods were endless, and people came and drove, which really showed a scene of common hatred.

ruin

The people will never forget it, and naturally the enemy will remember it. Therefore, as soon as Suzhou fell on November 19, the Japanese Hai Lao yuan troops couldn't wait. At about 4 p.m. that day, they towed small steel cannons and aimed at the building, firing continuously until they were smashed into rubble. The library, built by the people of Suzhou, has been reduced to ashes. It is a pity that after it "died" for the country, it has disappeared, and there is no sign of commemoration.

reference

Suzhou magazine, No.4, 1998, Lu Jin: Wu County Library who died for China

Declaration - June 24, 1999, second edition 7

Old Suzhou: a century's history (Volume I), page 88

Shanghai library collection (Shui Bo) genealogy of the HSI *

Address: 858 Renmin Road, Gusu District, Suzhou

Longitude: 120.62381447545

Latitude: 31.300270827226

Tel: 0512-65227889

Opening hours: 9:00-21:00

Chinese PinYin : Su Zhou Tu Shu Guan