Libraries have long been an ideal summer sanctuary, providing both refuge from the oppressive heat and the pleasure of reading. In Shanghai, numerous libraries are scattered across the city, offering readers an extensive array of choices.

Among these hidden gems is the Mingfu Library, nestled quietly along South Shaanxi Road.

The library was established in 1931 as the first public science and technology library in China. It is named in honor of Hu Mingfu, a founding member of the Science Society of China and the country's first doctor of mathematics.

The library boasts a collection of over 600,000 books, including more than 20,000 volumes in foreign languages, catering to the diverse needs of readers from various backgrounds.

The main building of the library blends Western modernist style with traditional Chinese culture. The door frame is adorned with a 'lotus leaf cradling a book' motif, symbolizing the ideal of 'rising untainted from the mud'.

Inside the three-story building, century-old steel windows and doors, bookshelves, and a hand-operated elevator that transports books have been well preserved after renovation.

If you go

Mingfu Library: No 235 South Shaanxi Road

Opening hours: The library is open from 8:30 am to 9 pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and weekends, as well as from 1 pm to 9 pm on Tuesdays.

It is closed on Thursday (*The Newspaper and Periodicals Reading Room opens on Thursday from 9 am to 4 pm)

Sources: Shanghai Observer, Mingfu Library