Tianyi Pavilion
It is situated close to the Moon Lake in west Ningbo City. The library, which has survived 430 years of dramas and upheavals, is the oldest existing private library in China and Asia. For centuries, it has been regarded as the "city of books in South China" for its huge collection of highly-valued ancient books and documents.
However, during the past several hundred years, the library used to be the private property of family Fan. As a result, few visitors could have access to step into the library since then.
In 1982, the State Council made Tianyi Pavilion one of the country’s key cultural heritages, thus turning the library into an indispensable landmark in this city famous for its remarkable historical culture. Today, Tianyi Pavilion is governed by the local government to preserve the private-owned library and open to the public.
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